An 80-year-old Marine Corps veteran was fired from an AMC theater in Bridgewater, NJ, over the forearm tattoos he bears, which are a Marines emblem and his Corps serial number. When he started working at the theater, he kept the tattoos covered, but when the theater mandated that ushers wear short-sleeve shirts, he fell afoul of the “no visible tattoos” rule.
After a public outcry, AMC re-hired him, with back-pay.
AMC spokesman Zach Baze, based in Kansas City, Mo., said the company does not comment on personnel matters.
In a letter to Trombadore, an AMC Theatres attorney, Kelly W. Schemenauer, wrote: “AMC does value the contribution made by military veterans, including Mr. Smith. As an employer, AMC also has employee wardrobe standards, and we strive to treat each employee equally with respect to such standards.”…
Every year, his family postpones Thanksgiving to the following weekend so he can work that day – one of the busiest for movie theaters – and fellow employees can have the day off with their families.
“I’m from a generation that grew out of the Depression. When you have a job, you make damn sure to hold on to it. People come around every day looking for work,” said Smith, who has been working since he was 14 years old and delivered beer on his bicycle, using 15 cents from his paycheck for movie tickets. “When I had a job, I did what I was supposed to do and a little extra.”
(Thanks, Dan!)
(photo excerpted from Gannett Photo/Ed Pagliarini)