Frank Swanson, a longtime employee of a Walmart store in the small town of West Plains, Missouri, was recently terminated from his job. The exact reason seems to be up for debate and has lead to a small backlash against the retail giant.
Swanson was known for giving hugs to customers. According to his supporters, Swanson was fired after giving an unwanted hug to a customer who complained. Even Swanson denies that is the reason for his firing.
According to Swanson, he was told he was fired for approving a lower price for an item that a shopper said a competitor was offering, even through the customer did not have the other store's ad to show him.
However, Walmart said neither one of those scenarios lead to Swanson's firing. They gave a response to Springfield, Missouri, ABC affiliate KSPR that outlined the reason Swanson was let go.
"Letting an associate go is never easy. But part of being a cashier is making sure customers are paying for their merchandise before they leave the store; in may instances, this was not happening, so Frank Swanson was let got."
Supporters of Swanson announced that they will hold a "Hugs for Frank" rally on Saturday morning in front of the Walmart store where he used to work.
