OAK CREEK – Dozens of protestors marched in front of Kunes Buick and GMC in Oak Creek Saturday, where a woman says she received a service sticker with a racial slur for African Americans after receiving an oil change in January.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, as I am generally accustomed to being treated some type of way due to my race, gender, socioeconomic status, and/or neurodivergence,” said Starks in a Facebook post Friday. “However, if I had known a racist employee was going to be working on my car, and other staff members would go to the lengths they did to try and cover this up- I would have never stepped foot into this dealership in the first place.”
During the protest Saturday, Starks said the dealership attempted to send a worker to her house to retrieve a tool left in her car after the oil change. She then claimed the employee attempted to remove the sticker from her car.
“They called me and said a technician left a tool under the hood of my car in the engine bay. Several employees…tried to gain access to my vehicle to try and remove the sticker,” said Starks Saturday.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Kunes originally said the sticker was a joke between co-workers. The dealership has since clarified that the employee involved has been fired, and that steps are being implemented to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future.
Read the dealership’s full statement below:
We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the incident that has come to light involving one of our employees and a customer, her sense of safety and dignity. We want to be unequivocal: this behavior and the hateful sentiment it implies are absolutely against our values as a company. There is no place for racism or discrimination within our dealership or community.
Upon learning of these allegations, we took immediate action. The employee known to be involved has been terminated, effective immediately.
We have been in contact with this customer over the last month to offer our apologies and have offered her credits for future service at other locations.
This incident stands in stark contrast to who we are as a company. We recognize the seriousness of this matter and accept our responsibility to ensure a safe, welcoming environment for every person who walks through our doors. While words are important, we know that real change comes from action, and we are fully committed to demonstrating our values through measurable steps. We are moving forward addressing this with our entire staff, reinforcing our corporate values.
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