Kurt Kromm, a 60-year-old diabetic worker with 11 years of loyal service at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, was wrongfully fired after bosses accused him of stealing a single $1.95 cookie from the company canteen.
Kromm had purchased the cookie during a night shift to stabilize his crashing blood sugar. When the first self-checkout machine seemingly rejected his debit card, he used a second kiosk to complete the transaction. Days later, management called him in to terminate his employment.
Stunned by the accusation, Kromm—who earned over $200,000 the previous year—checked his bank statements and found the successful $1.95 charge. After he provided screenshots, Ford confirmed the payment and offered him his job back with full back pay. However, Kromm declined the offer, choosing to take a new job elsewhere instead.