Wendy's sacks worker with Down's Syndrome after 20 years' service – but social media saves the day

A man with Down’s Syndrome will finally get the send-off he deserves after he was abruptly sacked from the restaurant he’d worked in for 20 years.

Dennis Peek, 51, had worked at a North Carolina branch of Wendy’s for more than two decades when he was fired for not being able to do his job “like a normal person”, according to his sister.

Cona Young Turner shared her brother’s story on Facebook, explaining: “His dream was to retire from there some day and he was looking forward to a huge retirement party, we may just give him that party and tell him he has retired because he does not understand being fired!”

She added that she was “very disappointed” with the outlet’s management, stressing: “They have no idea how they hurt my brother”.

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The morning after she shared Dennis’s story, Cona received a call from Carolina Restaurant Group, which owns and operates the fast food branch in Stanley, saying they’d like to give him his job back.

“We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our employees and our customers. This was an unfortunate mistake and lapse in protocol; we are in touch with the employee’s family, and we are looking forward to welcoming him back to work in the restaurant,” the group said in a statement, shared with WSOC-TV.

Cona was quick to offer an update on Facebook, saying that she and her brother had been “overwhelmed” by the support they’d received online.

Her thread, first posted on 5 October, racked up more than 5,100 comments and 13,000 shares in just five days, as people flocked to share their outrage at Dennis’s treatment.

In a subsequent update, Cona revealed that her brother would not be returning to his former job but would be having the big retirement party he’d been hoping for.

“Wendy’s has offered to help with expenses and anything else they can for his special day,” she added.

Cona also shared a postal address after numerous requests from well wishers wanting to send Dennis cards and letters.

“Y’all will never know how much this touches my heart!” she said.

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