A Louisiana man was fired from his job because he referred to his coworker by her government name instead of the name she identified with. He detailed the termination process in a video posted on Facebook while waiting for his termination paperwork to be drawn up. The clip showed his manager and a woman who appeared to be the employee who had filed the complaint against him. In the caption, the man who shared that he was being fired from the Chillis branch in Denham Springs for calling a “trans employee by her dead name,” which was Madeline. He added that he also caught his manager “hitting his vape” in the restaurant while drawing up the termination paperwork.
In a follow-up video, the man thanked everyone who reached out to him and sent supportive messages. He stated that the experience was upsetting, explaining that his only crime was calling his coworker by her name, Madeline, instead of her chosen name, “Fish.” Obviously frustrated by the incident and unconcerned about the threats that he might not get another job, he stated, “You will never shame me or force me into changing who the [expletive] I am.” He added that the experience violated his “First Amendment rights and religious freedom,” and he was overwhelmed by the weight of being unemployed, but he wishes he had stood up for himself earlier.
Man’s Termination Sparks Debate In Comments
The incident split the internet into two camps: one side viewing the employee’s firing as an escalation of speech control, while the other side condemned his behavior as a deliberate refusal to accord a coworker basic professional respect.
Framing the encounter as a broader cultural agenda, a critical user wrote, “It was never about respecting someone’s personal choices, always about controlling speech.” Expressing sheer disbelief at the company’s decision, an outraged supporter urged the fired worker to immediately consult a lawyer to challenge what they viewed as a wrongful termination. Another supportive netizen applauded the man’s resolve to stand his ground, declaring that everyone should have the right to defend their beliefs. A dismissive user wrote, “This is what happens when you give kids participation trophies!!!!” while this commenter added, “I just can’t get over the fact that Madeline wants to be called fish…“
Although condemning the company’s decision to fire the man, a cautious observer questioned why he chose to make an issue of a simple name change. On the other hand, some users condemned the employee’s conduct, with one stating that it was strange that a person would go out of their way to disrespect a coworker and boast about it publicly. A sarcastic critic wrote, “Because making a stance is more important than being a decent person. And now he’s surprised that there are consequences”
Despite the worker feeling bad about being unemployed during these difficult economic times, he admitted he would call his co-worker her government name if he could do it all over again.
