Why This Ex-Employee Is Glad He Was Fired From Chick-Fil-A
Charlotte, North Carolina resident John Holmes is passionate about cycling and pedestrian safety. According to LinkedIn, Holmes is trying to earn a master's in public administration at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and describes himself as a "Cycling Safety Advocate." He is also concerned about other modes of car-less transportation. "It is my hope that I can continue to help Charlotte redesign itself and its urban spaces so that the city is more equitable and safer for pedestrians," Holmes wrote on his page.
It's no surprise then that when the Charlotte City Council approved a rezoning request that would allow Chick-fil-A to build a drive-thru in an area where drive-thrus were previously disallowed, Holmes wasn't pleased (via The Charlotte Observer). In an interview with Slate, Holmes, who was then employed as a senior operations director at another Charlotte-based Chick-fil-A, said he first reached out to his district representative about the issue, and, after not receiving a response, took to Facebook to express his disagreement with the zoning ruling.
In the Facebook post, which has now been removed from the site, Holmes wrote, "This is a step in the wrong direction in so many ways and I'm genuinely disappointed that our city would decide to cede its vision of a pedestrian-friendly city to, of all things, a deep-fried chicken restaurant." In the Slate interview, Holmes also let on that he did use some vulgarities in the post, writing in part, "F*** Chick-fil-A..."
John Holmes doesn't regret standing up for Charlotte pedestrians
John Holmes was let go from his position at Chick-fil-A the day after his Facebook post protesting a city ordinance allowing for a rezoning permitting the building of a drive-thru at one Charlotte Chick-fil-A. But, he told Slate he doesn't regret his actions, claiming that Charlotte is the "fourth-deadliest metro for pedestrians in the United States."
Holmes took to Twitter to express his feelings on his termination, writing, "Do I regret it? Not at all." Other tweeters chimed in with their support for Holmes' actions in the comments, such as one user who wrote, "Thank you for speaking up. I hope you find employment again soon. Thanks for putting some skin in the game. This is admirable citizening on your part," while another wrote, "Heroes don't always wear capes, but they more often than not ride bikes." The Slate article stated that the outlet had contacted Chick-fil-A corporate for a response but had yet to receive one.