Local mother says son was kicked out of Walmart because of his disability

BADEN, Pa. — A Beaver County mother is heartbroken, claiming her son was kicked out of Walmart because of his disability.

Buddy, 24, is 6-foot-2 and nonverbal with special needs, but he communicates with noises that can sometimes get loud.

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His mother told Channel 11 that while he and his service worker were inside the Walmart in Baden, they were approached by a worker who asked them to leave. Tammy Sheets said an employee who claimed to be a manager asked them to leave because of the noises Buddy was making.

“She said, ‘are you serious?’ Because she was shocked. And he said, ‘if he is going to continue to make those noises then yes,’” Sheets said.

Sheets doesn’t know if he understood what happened, but she said he cried afterward. She called corporate and filed a complaint, as well as a call to the ACLU.

Channel 11 reached out to Walmart. They said they are aware of the situation and that this was a misunderstanding. Walmart officials claim the employee did not ask them to leave the store.

“I don’t know if he was sad or embarrassed or both, but that hurt me as a mother … I’m here, I’m supposed to defend him,” said Sheets.

Walmart updated its statement Wednesday, and the full comment is below:

“Our associates and customers reflect the diverse communities we serve and our doors are open to everyone. This was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and at no point did we ask or tell these individuals to leave or exit the store. Our management team has experience serving customers and family members with autism and working to ensure they have a positive experience in the store.”

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