A Seattle Build-A-Bear employee is in hot water after refusing to let a teenage customer name their created bear Charlie Kirk after the slain conservative commentator.
What Is the Build-A-Bear Charlie Kirk Controversy?
Fox Business reports that 16-year-old Evi McCormick built her own bear, but when it came to the name placed on the birth certificate, an employee at that location refused to print Kirk’s name.
McCormick says, “She just didn’t agree with it. She didn’t support it, and she told me, ‘We’re not doing this,’ folded it up in a force and threw it away.”
According to the report, McCormick was at the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, Wash., with her friends on Sept. 26 when the incident occurred.
Amber McCormick, Evi’s mom, says she spoke with someone at corporate headquarters for nearly an hour and was offered a $20 gift card for the poor customer service.
How Did Build-A-Bear Respond After the Charlie Kirk Controversy?
A few days passed and a few local news outlets picked up the story, and then Build-A-Bear reached back out to McCormick and admitted the incident should have not happened.
Build-A-Bear isn’t just apologizing and offering a $20 coupon, though.
McCormick says a representative told them they will be retraining employees at their stores in the Seattle area, reinforcing that they should not bring their political beliefs into the workplace.
Washington is a known blue state, but Build-A-Bear wants to make sure that all employees in the area stay politically mute and do what is requested by paying customers, unless the request is unreasonable or vulgar.
How Many Build-A-Bear Locations Are There in America?
There are around 327 Build-A-Bear locations across America, according to Scrape Hero.
How Much Does Build-A-Bear Cost?
According to their website, you can create a custom bear for as little as $16.
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