A 72-year-old California woman is taking on Home Depot, claiming the retail giant wrongfully terminated her after she failed to stop $5,000 in fraudulent transactions.
The case, which is now the subject of a lawsuit, underscores a growing concern about how major corporations treat their older employees and raises questions about the true motivation behind her firing.
Carlene Acevedo, a longtime employee of Home Depot in San Ramon, says she was blindsided when she was dismissed from her job as a cashier last July. Despite her dedication, including multiple awards such as Cashier of the Year in 2021, Acevedo found herself without a job after a harrowing encounter with a suspicious customer.
On the day of the incident, Acevedo was working alone in the Garden Center when a customer approached her register with what she described as a “very suspicious” card. The man demanded that she process multiple transactions as cash, a request that immediately raised red flags for Acevedo. Her apprehension was understandable, especially considering that just three months earlier, a loss prevention officer had been tragically shot and killed at a nearby Pleasanton Home Depot while trying to prevent a theft. Given the recent violence and her instinct that something wasn’t right, Acevedo was on edge.
Still, out of fear for her safety and in compliance with her training, she processed the transactions. “I got a funny feeling about the whole situation,” Acevedo recalled. The man returned 30 minutes later, insisting on three more transactions totaling about $4,000. When she tried to call her supervisor, the man became agitated. Scared and uncertain of what might happen if she refused, Acevedo did what she believed was the safest course of action: she processed the transactions as requested. However, she also discreetly made copies of the receipts, which she handed to her manager once the man left.
Acevedo’s actions were in line with the instructions she had received during her training at Home Depot, which emphasized not confronting suspicious individuals or escalating potentially dangerous situations. “I was told not to do anything—don’t approach, don’t interfere, just let them go,” she said. Despite following what she believed were company protocols, Acevedo was terminated just four days later. The termination letter stated that she had created a “security or loss prevention risk” by processing the fraudulent transactions.
Acevedo, devastated by the sudden loss of her job, soon found herself in dire straits. “I lost so much,” she said. “I lost my health care, my health declined, and I struggled to find work and pay my rent.” The emotional and financial toll pushed Acevedo to take legal action against Home Depot for wrongful termination and age discrimination.
Her attorney, Chambord Benton-Hayes, argues that Home Depot was unfair in its decision to fire Acevedo. “She did everything she could in a tough and potentially dangerous situation,” Benton-Hayes said. “She asked for backup, made copies of the receipts—she couldn’t risk her life. Home Depot’s training explicitly tells employees not to risk their lives for merchandise.”
Benton-Hayes also believes there is more to the story. According to Acevedo’s lawsuit, she had become a target for retaliation after complaining about wage disparity six months before the incident. At the time, she discovered that the store had hired a teenager as a cashier at a starting salary of $21 per hour—more than she was making after seven years on the job. Acevedo, who was earning $20.17 an hour, voiced her concerns and received a $2 raise the following month. Benton-Hayes suspects that after Acevedo raised the issue, the company looked for an excuse to fire her.
The allegations of age discrimination are not unique to Acevedo. AARP recently found that nearly two-thirds of adults over 50 believe that age discrimination in the workplace is widespread, and 90% of those surveyed believe that ageism is common. For Acevedo, this discrimination may have played a role in her struggle to find new employment after her termination. It wasn’t until a stressful period of unemployment and uncertainty that she eventually secured part-time work to help make ends meet.
While Home Depot has declined to comment on the ongoing litigation, the case highlights the broader issue of how older workers are treated in today’s job market. Acevedo’s lawsuit could set a precedent for other older workers facing similar challenges and send a message that age discrimination won’t be tolerated.
In the end, Acevedo isn’t just fighting for herself—she’s standing up for all older Americans who’ve been cast aside by companies that value profit over people. Her battle against Home Depot is one more chapter in the ongoing struggle for fairness and respect in the workplace.
