June 11, 2020—Gerber Collision & Glass has apologized and terminated members of its management team in its Seattle, Wash., market after racist photos depicting a marketing manager wearing blackface and an afro wig during a virtual conference call this week were obtained by FenderBender and distributed on Twitter.
The photos depicted the marketing manager and a number of employees, including numerous market managers, during a business meeting with Gerber’s Washington state manager.
In response, Gerber issued the following statement on its Twitter and Facebook:
“Gerber Collision & Glass has taken immediate and decisive action against employees who were involved in a racial incident. An investigation concluded that behaviors of these employees during a virtual meeting in early May were unacceptable and not in keeping with the company’s culture or values. Individuals directly responsible for this incident are no longer employed with us.
“We apologize for the offensive image from a virtual meeting that was posted on social media. We have the obligation to build and support a culture that empowers our people and fosters a sense of belonging, where everyone is respected and supports inclusive thinking, and where we celebrate the diverse voices in our workplace and our communities. While this incident involved a very small number of employees, Gerber Collision & Glass has committed to taking meaningful measures that include training and supporting our entire workforce to become more active in diversity, inclusion and sensitivity in the near future.”
It is not clear which of the individuals depicted in the photo were terminated. FenderBender has reached out to Gerber for further comment and clarification.
