Cookie store employee suspended after buying brownie for police officer reinstated

KATY, Texas — A Texas cookie store employee who was suspended after he paid for a brownie for a police officer will be reinstated.

According to KRIV, Zachary Randolph, 18, works at Great American Cookies at Katy Mills Mall in Katy, Texas. But his employment was in jeopardy for a few days after a moment of generosity on the job.

Last Sunday, a police officer reportedly came to Great American Cookies and ordered a brownie, a $2.75 purchase. Randolph offered to pay for the officer’s brownie with his own money. The police officer thanked him and walked away.

It was the conduct of the next family in line that reportedly got Randolph in trouble. When they approached the counter, they asked if Randolph would be paying for their orders, too. In a viral Facebook post, Randolph's mother, Tami Kurtz Randolph, said her son's job was threatened and he was accused of being racist:

The next day, Randolph was summoned to a meeting with his manager and upper manager, his mother wrote. She said that while upper management supposedly wanted him fired for the incident, his direct manager would not fire him, saying he was a good worker and under consideration for management at the time of the incident,

They issued Randolph a warning and a one-week suspension, his mother said. Not everyone agreed with the action.

"A lot of people I know my age don't support police officers. I don't think it's fair," he told KRIV.

But things were about to change again. As the story got more attention, Great American Cookies executives reversed the decision. Biju George, the owner and operator of the Katy Mills Great American Cookies, issued this statement:

"On behalf of Great American Cookies Katy Mills, we owe the employee an apology. It was never an issue that he purchased a brownie for a police officer, but rather the events that unfolded with another customer in line at the time. However, after further review, we realize that the employee was in fact in the right and we continue to reach out to him and his mom to issue an apology. The corrective action and suspension was reversed immediately and we hope to connect with him today."

In an emailed statement to the Houston Chronicle, Great American Cookies Executive Vice President David Kaiser wrote:

"Great American Cookies proudly supports Law Enforcement, First Responders and all who serve our country. ... Though our stores are independently managed and operated, when the situation first arose, we reached out to the franchisee to ensure that the situation was addressed and handled appropriately."

Cox Media Group