What would you do? A teenager, maybe with special needs -- we don't know -- is clocking into his shift at a Meijer deli in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Life’s tough, money’s tight, and the smell of fresh chicken and fruit cups is a daily temptation. Over months, he sneaks bites here and there, small acts of desperation that add up to $110. Then, one day, police haul him away in handcuffs, his future now shadowed by a criminal record.
This is James’ story, a young worker caught in a corporate crackdown. When a $15 billion retailer chooses jail over a warning for a kid’s mistake, it’s not just bad optics—it’s a failure of leadership that people with a sense of humanity should call out.
🚨 New bodycam footage shows a 16-year-old deli worker at Meijer reportedly disabled, ARRESTED over $110 in fruit cups and chicken taken across three months just to get through his shifts.
— Desiree (@DesireeAmerica4) August 19, 2025
A $15 BILLION corporation didn’t show compassion. They built a case. They dragged a… pic.twitter.com/iPWqoCG8Zl
Stealing is wrong. Period. People know actions have consequences, and businesses like Meijer have every right to protect their bottom line. Employee theft isn’t a trivial matter—it bleeds retailers of billions annually, hiking prices for honest shoppers and threatening jobs.
But was it stealing? James wasn’t smuggling TVs or emptying cash registers; he took food that the retailer wasn't going to sell and was going to throw away, likely to get through his shifts. Social media posts racking up millions of views on X paint him as a hungry kid caught in a corporate trap. The body cam footage of his arrest, now viral, shows a young man facing consequences that could haunt him for years.
We should champion second chances. Meijer’s choice to escalate this to the police feels less like justice and more like a punch down. Meijer’s response only deepens the disconnect. The company, which boasts about feeding communities and partnering with food banks, tosses out thousands of dollars in unsold food daily—rotisserie chickens, pastries, you name it.
Have y’all seen this story? @meijer should drop the charges against this disabled teen!!
— Kentucky Girl (@Notwokenow) August 19, 2025
He ate 1 fruit cup from the “to be thrown away” stack per day, on his way home. He didn’t know he wasn’t allowed to.
And the POS manager, instead of telling him he couldn’t eat it, just… https://t.co/k4D7PociAn
Yet, they built a case against James, waiting until his petty theft crossed a legal threshold to call the cops. A common-sense approach would’ve started with a discussion, possibly compassionately asking why he was taking the food, and then a stern warning, not a sting operation for $110. Letting small thefts pile up to justify an arrest smells more like a power play than a defense of taxpayer dollars.
Good leadership corrects early, with clear rules and fair consequences, not by rolling out the handcuffs. This isn’t about excusing theft; it’s about proportionality. Employee theft costs businesses $50 billion a year and drives nearly a third of retail bankruptcies. Look, I get that. But when a mega-retailer like Meijer, with 270 stores and a feel-good brand, opts for criminal charges over internal discipline for a young worker’s mistake, it risks more than bad PR. It alienates customers and employees.
If you shop at @meijer ⬇️⬇️⬇️ this coward set up a special needs young man who was eating food already placed outside in garbage bins.
— USAUltraMagaChingona619 🇺🇸 🙌✝ (@Kambearoz_rocky) August 19, 2025
My mom's family often went without eating because my grandma worked with no help from her POS ex husband/their father. You don't hurt people… https://t.co/cHDpeC1PaG
A smarter path would’ve been progressive discipline: a write-up, a final warning, then termination if the behavior persisted. Or even better, have a place in the break room to have snacks and drinks for employees who maybe don't have time or money to get a proper meal. That’s how you balance accountability with compassion, showing strength without losing humanity. Wal-Mart, even though in my personal experience they had problems with the mistreatment of employees with disabilities, had from time to time stocked stuff to eat in their break room. Also, stop treating people with a disability like a disposable pawn. Understand that they struggle more in life than just the mundane duty of paying bills and trying to find work. They struggle with stuff no one should have to deal with.
Meijer’s misstep with James is a wake-up call for corporate America. Many people know that true leadership pairs justice with mercy, especially for the young and struggling. Businesses can protect their interests without crushing a kid’s future over $110 in food. Let’s get Meijer to rethink their approach, to choose correction over condemnation. By leading with policies that don't hamper those people who have a disability and with a touch of grace, they can rebuild trust and prove that even a $15 billion chain can have a heart.
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