Burger King employee, son and his friends are fired after her 'proud' Facebook post goes viral

A proud mom's post about her son and his friends caused all of them to lose their jobs.

Former Burger King manager Shakayla Dixon, of Clinton, Mississippi, took to Facebook to congratulate her 15-year-old son, Corderrion Valentine, and his friends in taking up jobs at her place of work.

Her post explained how her son helped get them a summer job which would keep them off the streets.

The four teens deservedly had their fair share of plaudits - including a visit to the mayor's office who awarded them for sacrificing their summer to work.

In a statement, Alderman Thomas J. Mayfield office said: "A group of local teenagers from Vicksburg, including Fabian Moore, Corderrion Valentine, Devin Banks, and Felton Moore, decided to take a proactive approach to their summer.

"Rather than spending it idly, they secured jobs at a Burger King in Clinton, Mississippi." 

News of their endeavors soon spread online, with comedian Nick Cannon posting a picture of the boys on his Instagram.

The caption read: "Now this is the wave! Staying out of trouble, and getting the bag the right way! This is how it’s done kings."

His post grossed more than 90,000 likes.

But while it seemed the entire population of the US was behind them, the fast-food joint called Dixon on 9 July to inform her of the decision to sack her son and his friends - named Devin, Felton and Fabian - as well as herself.

"I got a call from my area manager and my district leader," the mom explained.

"She said we don’t want to turn something good into something bad, but we have some concerns. The concerns she had were the fact that Corderrion is my son and how much money they were getting paid."

She stated if the decision to axe all five of them was due to policy, that it was 'overlooked' at first as it was a 'good look for the company'.

Dixon has since set up a GoFundMe to help cover her loss of earnings, as well as her son's and his friends - which has over $10,000 in donations.

Source: https://www.unilad.com/news/us-news/burger-king-cook-never-had-day-off-400000-retirement-fund-las-vegas-888801-20230813

Comprehension

Who is Shakayla Dixon?
What did Shakayla Dixon post about on Facebook?
How old is Corderrion Valentine?
Why did the boys decide to take summer jobs?
What recognition did the boys receive from the mayor's office?
Who shared a picture of the boys on Instagram?
What was the reaction of Burger King to the social media post?
How is Shakayla Dixon trying to support herself and the boys after losing their jobs?

Discussion

Why do you think Burger King decided to fire Shakayla Dixon and the boys?
How can social media positively or negatively affect people's lives and jobs?
What are some benefits of teenagers working summer jobs?
What might be some reasons for a company to have policies against hiring family members?
How can communities support young people in finding productive activities during the summer?
What would you do if you were in Shakayla Dixon’s position after losing your job?
How can employers balance recognition and policy enforcement in the workplace?
What are your thoughts on using crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe to support people in difficult situations?
How can young people be encouraged to stay out of trouble during their free time?
What lessons can be learned from this story about workplace policies and their impact on employees?

Vocabulary

Proactive - Creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.
Plaudits - Praise or approval.
Idly - Without any particular purpose, reason, or foundation.
Endeavors - Attempts to achieve a goal.
Sacrificing - Giving up something valued for the sake of other considerations.
Concerns - Worries or anxieties.
Overlooked - Not noticed or considered.
Crowdfunding - The practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people.