A Tennessee man claims he was fired from his job at Apex Bank after months of driving to work with anti-Trump signs displayed on his car. Now, he and his wife are questioning whether those signs contributed to his termination. The HR manager said that it was a business decision.
The story was uploaded to the man’s wife’s TikTok account, walkertocker. It got several hundred views, with many viewers expressing outrage over what happened to the couple.
The Tennessee man also questioned whether his termination had anything to do with an ADA accommodation request he says he submitted two weeks earlier. However, there has been no independent confirmation that the request played a role in his firing. His wife claims that when he returned to collect his belongings, he was served with legal paperwork connected to a request for a restraining order. According to the couple, the bank accused him of workplace violence in connection with the anti-Trump signs displayed on his car. The allegations and the contents of the reported legal filing have not been independently verified.
The Tennessee man also shared a video of the call with the HR manager. In that conversation, the HR manager said that he couldn’t even go to the office building and was only allowed to pick up his belongings off-site. The man also said he allegedly witnessed the HR manager taking pictures of his car.
Those are the latest updates so far. It has not yet been independently verified whether the accusations against Apex Bank are true, and other explanations may exist that have not been shared yet.
Tennessee Man’s Firing Has People Crying Foul
Regardless, many commenters on TikTok were upset over the man’s firing, with some questioning whether the timing of his ADA accommodation request played a role. “This is illegal. He can sue for retaliation because of the timing. If he submitted an ADA recommendation then got fired ‘because of business decision,’” one user wrote.
Some people argued that the Tennessee man had a difficult case since they didn’t have enough proof. Others urged them to talk with an employment attorney.
His wife replied that they already had an attorney helping them fight the bank’s legal action, which she believes is unjustified. She also suggested they were considering whether to pursue legal action of their own.
Others pointed out that Tennessee is an at-will employment state, meaning employers generally have broad discretion when firing employees. However, that doesn’t mean every termination is legal. Employers still cannot fire workers for certain discriminatory or retaliatory reasons, including reasons prohibited under disability discrimination laws.
A handful of users, though, sided with the bank, finding the man’s actions problematic. Some even argued that he must have done something wrong. Others said that people shouldn’t bring politics and personal opinions into their jobs.
The Tennessee man and his wife aren’t backing down, although it’s still unclear how their legal dispute with Apex Bank will play out. For now, the couple appears determined to fight the allegations and get answers about his firing.
