Wendy's makes U-turn over firing longtime employee with Down Syndrome

A restaurant worker with Down Syndrome is planning to have a big retirement party after being fired, then re-hired, by a Wendy's restaurant in North Carolina.

Cona Young Turner took to Facebook this week to share the rollercoaster of events that her brother, Dennis, has been through after working at a Wendy's store for more than 20 years.

According to Turner, Dennis had been looking forward to having a 'huge retirement party' following his years of service for the fast-food chain, but that plan went out of the window when he was fired.

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Turner claimed staff at the restaurant had fired Dennis because he was, and I quote, 'unable to perform the duties of a normal persons job [sic]', with Turner saying Dennis had been 'hurt' by the way he had been let go.

"His dream was to retire from there some day and he was looking forward to a huge retirement party, we may just give him that party and tell him he has retired because he does not understand being fired," Turner wrote.

The sister said she was 'very disappointed' with the management at the store, and announced she was 'looking into a wrongful termination' suit in order to try and get justice for her brother.

After she shared her post online, Turner was met with a wealth of support and a surprising turn of events from the managers at the store.

In an update on the same post, the sister announced the company had offered Dennis his job back.

In a statement to WBTV, Wendy's parent company Carolina Restaurant Group said: "We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our employees and our customers.

"This was an unfortunate mistake and lapse in protocol; we are in touch with the employee’s family, and we are looking forward to welcoming him back to work in the restaurant."

Cona Young Turner/Facebook

However, it seems like Wendy's should have held on to Dennis while it had the chance, because Turner announced that her brother would 'not be returning to Wendy's'. Instead, he plans to have the big retirement party he had dreamed of.

Turner revealed that Wendy's has offered to help cover the expenses of the party, as well as 'anything else they can for his special day'.

"I feel in my heart at this point I should do what is best for my brother... Thank you all again for all your love and support for my brother," Turner wrote.

The Carolina Restaurant Group has not specified whether the person responsible for firing Dennis has faced repercussions, but insisted it is 'taking appropriate action'.

"This was an unfortunate mistake that we’re working through with the team member, his job coach and family. We’re also using this as an opportunity to retrain all our teams on our protocols," the company said.

UNILAD has reached out to Wendy's for further comment.

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