Ford offers back wages after worker fired over cookie payment error

Kurt Kromm, a 60-year-old former electrician at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, was fired after being accused of stealing a $1.95 packet of Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies from an Aramark-run self-checkout kiosk.

Kromm, who is diabetic, says he bought the cookies during a low blood sugar episode and paid with his debit card, though the terminal initially showed a red error before appearing to process.

After termination, Kromm provided bank records showing a $1.95 debit card transaction matching the purchase, leading Ford to acknowledge the firing was a mistake.

Ford offered Kromm $33,000 in back wages and reinstatement to his old job, but he declined and is preparing to sue.

Kromm's attorney argues that both Ford and Aramark had the payment proof available from the start, and the case highlights concerns about workplace technology and investigation protocols.