After backlash, Lowe's rehires worker who was fired after intervening in shoplifting incident
CBSN
Lowe's has rehired an employee whom it fired after she attempted to stop shoplifters in Rincon, Georgia, last month, getting a black eye in the process. Her firing sparked a social media backlash against the company, with hundreds of Facebook users posting criticisms.
The home improvement retailer fired Donna Hansbrough, 68, after she violated the company's policy against pursuing shoplifters outside the store, the Effingham Herald reported. During the June 25 shoplifting incident, three suspects made off with roughly $2,100 worth of stolen merchandise, according to an incident report posted on Facebook by the Rincon Police Department. Hansbrough exited the store and grabbed the shopping cart in possession by one of the thieves, who then struck her in the face three times, police said, causing her "right eye to swell and blacken.
Hundreds of Facebook users chimed in on the police department's report which noted that Hansbrough had been an employee at the store for 13 years. The bulk of commenters supported Hansbrough, condemning the company for firing her. Some vowed to stop shopping at Lowe's.
