|
 After initially reaffirming its stance against marriage equality the PR department at Chick-Fil-A released a statement on Facebook saying, "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena." The new official position of the company seeks solace by referring to their "devoting of profits back to our communities" but as the Huffington Post reported that devotion includes over $2 million to anti-gay marriage groups in 2010 alone. This all may have been too much to handle for VP of Corporate Public Relations who has passed amid the evolving controversy over gay marriage.
While America's 10th most popular fast food chain has officially backed out of the public gay marriage debate, experts such as Greg Sanders, publisher of Food News Media group, says the debacle could hurt their prospects of expanding beyond the South costing the company millions. Further complicating their expansion Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, "Chick-Fil-A values are not Chicago values." while Boston Mayor Thomas Menino publicly rescinded the invitation to open business there stating, "There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it." New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg criticized the men he called, "good Mayors" saying, It’s inappropriate for a city government, or a state government, or the federal government to look at somebody’s political views and decide whether or not they can live in the city, or operate a business in the city, or work for somebody in the city, Both Mayor's have since stepped-back clairifing that they do not intend to directly interfere with any new business. No such backtracking has come from San Franscico Mayor Edwin Lee who weighed in with, "[the] Closest Chick-Fil-A to San Francisco is 40 miles away & I strongly recommend that they not try to come any closer." Add to this a new lawsuit claiming wrongful termination based on gender discrimination. According the the lawsuit former employee Brenda Honeycutt alleges her boss suggested, "that as a mother she should stay at home with her children". Keeping the controversy close to home these incidents all took place in Northern Georgia near the companies Headquarters. The disgruntled employee is demanding full front and back pay as well as benefits and compensation for "the humiliation, emotional distress, and other damages". View the Storify timeline and more below the jump... |
