Ford employee throws out $1.95 'stealing' cookie after showing payment, refuses to renew: Report

A Ford electrician who was fired for allegedly stealing a package of $1.95 cookies is set to take legal action against the automaker and food service company Aramark after proving he paid for the snacks, The New York Post reported.

According to the report, Kurt Kromm, 60, worked at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville for 11 years before he was fired for what the company believed was an unpaid purchase at a self-service kiosk.

Ford reportedly later reinstated Kromm, paid him about $33,000 in back wages and offered him his job back after bank records showed the $1.95 transaction went through. However, Kromm declined the offer and has now hired Kentucky attorney J. Will Huber to take legal action against Ford and Aramark.

‘I can’t go back’

Explaining why he refused to return, Kromm told The New York Post: “I can’t go back to a company that just fired me like that and not give me any chance to show that I paid.”

According to the report, Huber plans to send a demand letter to both companies.

In a statement to the newspaper, Huber said, “The allegations of theft made against him were absolutely false.”

He added: “Evidence of his innocence was available or possessed by both Aramark and Ford from the very beginning.”

Huber also said that Kromm “paid up, but was still branded a thief and removed from the plant he dedicated 11 years of his career to,” describing the companies’ handling of the incident as “unacceptable.”

How the incident unfolded

The incident occurred during the night shift on May 9. Kromm, who is diabetic, said his blood sugar dropped to 60 around 3:30 a.m., prompting him to buy a two-pack of grandma’s chocolate chip cookies from an Aramark self-service kiosk.

He said the payment terminal displayed a red error message after he swiped the debit card. He swiped again, but neither the normal approval message appeared on the screen, nor did the payment decline.

“I was like, well, I guess it passed,” Kromm told the newspaper. “That was so insignificant to me – $1.95. I thought I paid.”

About a week later, his superiors called him into a meeting and informed him that he was being dismissed.

Recalling the moment, Kromm said, “They want to terminate you for taking a cookie. I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’

He told The New York Post that he was immediately escorted out of the factory and was not allowed to retrieve his belongings.

Bank records proved the payment

The report said Kromm later asked a former colleague to take a photo of the self-service kiosk with the price of the cookies and found the corresponding $1.95 charge on his bank statement. He then sent screenshots to Ford and union officials.

Ford reportedly requested a notarized bank statement before reinstating him with full pay.

Despite the financial compensation, Kromm said the experience permanently damaged his trust in the company.

“There was no apology. It wasn’t serious, ‘We’re sorry,'” he told The New York Post.

“I expected to work for Ford until I retired. … It was extremely difficult for me, but I couldn’t go back.”

Ford and Aramark respond

The Post reported that a Ford spokesman said in response, “We do not comment on the details of pending litigation. We are working to review the limited cases where issues with Aramark kiosks have been raised.”

The news outlet also said that an Aramark spokesperson also declined to discuss the potential lawsuit, saying, “We do not comment on potential litigation. We remain focused on acting with integrity and accountability.”

According to The New York Post, Kromm’s attorney plans to pursue legal claims against both companies over the incident.

The case was first brought to light by journalist Phoebe Wall Howard through her newsletter Shifting Gears Substack, who also first reported that Kromm had hired legal counsel.