Posted on 07/08/2014 3:58:25 AM PDT by xzins
A bank teller in Kentucky claims she was fired from her job for telling customers, "Have a blessed day."
Polly Neace wished customers at U.S. Bank in Walton, Kentucky, well with those words of blessing for more than two years.
She said she never had anyone complain about the saying, which she said she was inspired to adopt when someone said the phrase to her in 2009.
"I mean, in my opinion, I don't think there's any better way to have a blessed day," she explained in an interview with Fox News.
But Neace said she was told she could no longer say the phrase anymore and was later fired after working at the bank for 24 years.
Neace filed a lawsuit against her former employers saying she was discriminated against because of her religious beliefs.
But U.S. Bank disputes that claim.
The bank said that several customers had complained about Neace referencing the religious phrase.
It also claims that Neace asked a customer about taking the Lord's name in vain and proceeded to talk to that customer about salvation.
But Neace said that was an unrelated incident and that the customer didn't complain.
In a statement U.S. Bank said, "We hold our employees to high ethical standards when interacting with customers and co-workers...we believe that this lawsuit is without merit and the fact presented in future legal proceedings will justify our actions."
CBN News reached out to U.S. Bank for comment but our call was not returned at the time this article was published.
The bank has the right to determine whom they employ. Simple as that. I am a Christian and wish the sister all the very best.
Self-evident, one would think. You do what hour boss tells you or seek employment elsewhere. That used to be a conservative principle.
I have never heard someone say it or even heard of it.
“high ethical standards”
So now expressing a Christian sentiment is unethical?
You know these bastards would bow down and kiss the dirt around the feet of a member of the “religion of peace” if it started yelling “allaku akbar”.
Actually, they don’t have the right to fire anyone they wish. It is against federal law to fire for discriminatory reasons. Religion is one of those illegal reasons to fire.
I’ve been a US Bank customer for a number of years, they even carried my mortgage at one point. This is not the kind of publicity they want ... it will hurt them in Kentucky certainly and elsewhere as well.
The bank should be made to produce the "several customers" and to prove the damage that was done to these "several customers". Otherwise, the claim is hearsay.
I live just over an hour from Walton, and I hear it regularly. Also, "blessings", "God bless you". Very common.
It is a Southern thing.
For this area, that is a terrible decision for US Bank.
But Neace said she was told she could no longer say the phrase anymore and was later fired after working at the bank for 24 years.
This actually might be more of the reason than anything else. She could have been close to retirement and by firing her they won’t have to pay any retirement Bennies.
Also I have seen in myself and others that ‘habit patterns’ in speech do occur. ‘Have a blessed day’ might be one of her’s that she says unthinkingly to end a conversation.
“Have a blessed day.” might work itself into a speech pattern. It’s actually a fairly innocuous statement. It hardly can be characterized as raving, snake-handling fanaticism.
Thanks, Sarah. They do need to hear. It’s a really dumb decision.
Retirement bennies....that’s definitely worth checking out. That would put it at the level of age discrimination, too.
If I had an account with any US Bank in America, I would change banks and inform the branch manager in person of my reason for doing so.
Until the corporation or government giving you mammon tells you to affirmatively support the President and homosexual marriage; for example, you have to serve a couple of men who refer to themselves as Mr. And Mrs., and your company or government requires you to call them "Mr. And Mrs." out of respect for their abomination. What are you going to say then, and what will happen to your family ?
I sympathize with her and hopes she wins, for all our sakes.
Rights and federal law are two very different things. Yes, I support property rights. That is , the rights of people to their property and the control thereof. Do not expect me to go along with the liberal nondiscrimination nonsense. It is the right of a business owner to decide whom they will employ and deal with. There choices may be wrong and ill informed. Free and voluntary association is the foundation if a just and workable society.
Unless the government orders you to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding. Other than that, let corporations do what they want, right?
I agree. I don’t bank there, but would change if I did. I’m actually changing shortly from my denomination’s credit union over a disagreement. Going with a local rural banking group of about half a dozen banks.
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