On Feb. 12, Parkhurst Dining Services terminated One Main Café cashier of eight years Kim Houf, referred to by many as the Capital Mom.
Students’ love for Kim and heartbreak over her absence were apparent on social media in the days following. The hashtag #BringBackKim circulated Facebook, Twitter, and YikYak.
When asked about Houf, Capital’s Parkhurst General Manager Shane Green said the company protects the privacy of its team members and is prohibited from releasing personal information.
“We are committed to providing a great dining experience for our students and guests on the Capital campus,” Green said. “Occasionally, changes are made to ensure we deliver the best service and the highest quality food each day.”
“At Parkhurst, we believe in treating everyone as an individual, in a fair and consistent manner, and comply with all equal employment regulations. Team members also have multiple ways to resolve any concerns about their career, or issues in the workplace.”
Green was unable to provide additional comments regarding Houf.
Houf’s Facebook post that delivered news of her termination received over 170 likes.
Student comments read:
In an interview with The Chimes, Houf said, “I was let go because of missing too many days with my migraines. Policy says you can miss three, but I missed a lot more than that. I am deeply saddened…I loved that job and have for the past eight years.”
Houf said she was on probation, but had no clue Parkhurst would choose to let her go.
Asked if she would return to work if given the opportunity, Houf said “I’d come back in a heartbeat.”
“If I can get a ticket, I will be at graduation. I miss you all,” Houf said. “The love and sentiments shared have been overwhelming.”
On Feb. 13, a concerned student created the Facebook event “Kim from Cru Club,” asking students to boycott Cru Club (One Main Café’s previous identity) until Houf “is rightfully given her job back.”
“We created the event to support Kim, but we knew we wouldn’t see results because it’s a corporate decision…the reversal of termination is next to impossible,” said the creator. “I deleted the event because…all food on Capital’s campus is Parkhurst, so the only thing that could potentially catch attention is a hunger strike. They already have our money.”
Before the creator canceled the event the following day, over 240 students joined.
However, Gordon Ross, a One Main Café employee working Friday night, said the boycott/sit-in was not apparent.
“There was about the average amount of students,” said Gordon. “A couple people shouted ‘bring Kim back’ as they were ordering, got their chicken fingers, and left.”
While Capital University holds no authority over Parkhurst’s employment practices, Capital’s contract with Parkhurst expires June 2016 and includes clauses to terminate sooner if the University deems it appropriate and in the best interest of the student body.
