Hotel Fires Man Who Wore US Flag Pin

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Hotel Fires Man Who Wore US Flag Pin
Veterans Among Many Angered By Hotel's Stance
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Just before firing Sean May the day after he was sent home for wearing an American flag pin, the Casa Monica Hotel answered some questions in an email Friday.

"The Casa Monica Hotel located in St. Augustine, Florida, is an American-based, homegrown historic hotel," the email reads. "The property reflects its pride in America and great patriotism by flying the Stars and Stripes high over the hotel. The American flag greets every guest and employee with its symbolism of our belief in this great country."

"However, our employee handbook clearly states, 'No other buttons, badges, pins or insignias of any kind are permitted to be worn.' No matter an individual's national preference, political views or religious affiliation, it is a standard regulation which ensures equality for all Grand Performers (employees)." The Casa Monica Hotel's response has angered many people, some who say the policy is backwards and that American flag pins shouldn't be banned but should be embraced.

"The dress code should include a lapel pin for everybody," said Bruce Whalen, who served in the Air Force and takes this incident personally.

Whalen said he is so offended by the hotel's policy that he's writing to the hotel, along with his entire email list, and he's calling on friends to boycott the hotel and its parent company.

"Anybody who takes a chance on his livelihood to take a stand for patriotism is a hero and should be treated like a hero," Whalen said.

May, the 26-year-old now-former front desk supervisor at Casa Monica Hotel in the heart of downtown St. Augustine, was told to take the pin off Thursday because it violates company policy, but he refused and was sent home.

St. Johns county Commissioner Mark Miner issued this statement on the issue:

"The Casa Monica Hotel and Kessler Enterprise certainly have the legal right to forbid their employees from wearing an American flag pin. However, their inability to discern between the flag of our nation and other pins and buttons that their policies forbid is of great concern to me. St. Johns County is home to nearly 20,000 military veterans and is made up of an ideologically and culturally diverse population whose collective love for the United States is second to none. I want to make clear that the actions taken by the Casa Monica Hotel and Kessler Enterprise do not represent the patriotism shared by St. Johns County residents and businesses."

"I hope Kessler Enterprise will act quickly to correct the disrespect they have shown the flag of our great nation and end the embarrassment they have brought upon St. Johns County."

Miner is a two-time veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and has been a member of the Florida Army National Guard since 2002. http://www.news4jax.com/news/29487987/detail.html

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Sean May has been wearing an American flag pin to work every day for the last two years.

"In this day, I kind of feel like it has a little bit more of a powerful meaning than just a pin on somebody's jacket, and I wear it with pride because I like where I live and I love this country," May said.

The 26-year-old front desk supervisor at Casa Monica Hotel in the heart of downtown St. Augustine was told to take the pin off Thursday because it violates company policy.

"I've actually gotten probably more compliments about it than any of the service I've actually done at the hotel, which is an interesting concept," May said. "And I told her, I said, 'I don't feel I need to take this off,' and she told me, 'Well, you've got a choice. You can go home or you can remove the pin.' And I said, 'Well, I'm not going to remove the pin, so I guess I'm going home.'" May said Casa Monica recently had a change in command at the corporate level and is trying to revamp its image.

A spokesperson for the hotel released this statement: "Casa Monica has always had the personal appearance guidelines, and they are currently being enforced."

"It seems silly. It seems so, so silly in the long run," May said. "They're so upset about a little pin, and yet I come to work every day and flying over the hotel there's a gigantic American flag."

May said he loves his job, but he's willing to risk it to stand up for what he feels is right.

"Why would I want to work for a company that isn't going to be supportive of what I believe in and what I'm working towards?" May said. "I think that if they do get rid of me over this, it will open a lot of eyes for other people."
May is so avid about trying to change the company policy that he wrote a letter to the corporate office.