Minnesota Hospital Apologizes to Staff After Providing Free Chick-fil-A Sandwiches
A Minnesota hospital apologized to staff members after failing to adhere to its “values of respect and justice” for handing out free Chick-fil-A sandwiches.
Employees at Essential Health in Duluth were provided the free lunch offered by the fast-food chain in the St. Mary’s Medical Center’s atrium last week. However, internal emails obtained by The Daily Wire revealed discontent among employees, with some expressing outrage over the decision.
“Please spread the word that Chick-fil-A will be handing out free sandwiches,” wrote Tammy Kritzer, senior vice president for regional operations at Essentia Health, in an email. In response, employees voiced concerns about what they saw as an implicit endorsement of the company’s values.
“I’m not sure Essentia realizes the message they are sending to their LGBTQ+ employees (or patients) with this affiliation. The sandwiches might be free, but the implicit endorsement certainly has a cost,” wrote a medical laboratory scientist who uses “they/them” pronouns in their email signature.
“Chick-fil-A is an Anti-LGBTQ+ business and I would not recommend supporting them in any way. We need to protect vulnerable communities during this time and at all times,” wrote another employee.
Criticism of the sandwiches garnered positive emoji reactions from dozens of staff members, according to the email chain. However, not all employees agreed with the backlash.
“It is just a Sandwich,” one employee countered. “Plenty of the items Essentia Health uses in the healthcare industry to include supplies and equipment were likely made in China. It doesn’t mean that Essentia supports communism or government oppression.”
The controversy highlights long-standing criticisms of Chick-fil-A from LGBTQ+ activists, who have protested the company’s donations to organizations such as The Salvation Army, which they allege have anti-LGBTQ+ records. Despite the criticism, Chick-fil-A has emphasized its commitment to diversity and inclusion, even hiring a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) officer last year. However, its ties to Christian values, such as closing on Sundays to honor the Sabbath, continue to be a point of contention.
Following the backlash, Kritzer issued an apology to employees, emphasizing the hospital’s commitment to inclusivity.
“We have received feedback from some colleagues who were concerned or offended by this occurrence, and we value colleagues feeling comfortable expressing their reservations,” Kritzer wrote. “We would like to thank our colleagues who had the courage to speak up to widen our lens of inclusivity, and we appreciate all colleagues continuing to live our values of respect and justice.”
The hospital clarified in the email that the free sandwiches were “not intended to endorse a business or business practices” and reiterated the hospital’s dedication to respecting diverse perspectives.
“In the words of Maya Angelou, when we know better, we do better,” the email read. “Thank you for giving us grace, as we work to be better, together.”
