A middle school janitor used social media to call out a school for forcing him to resign after he left work a little bit early, he said.
In a viral video with over 6.2 million views, user Sarah (@Sarah_conner1) shared a clip that captured the exchange between Jonathan Holley a janitorial worker at Webb Bridge Middle School and his boss.
@sarah_conner1 Jonathan holley was forced to resign as a janitor at Webb bridge middle school for leaving work 8 min early #webbbridgemiddleschool #jonathanholley #firedthejanitor #forcedtoresign #thisisrediculous ♬ original sound – 🩷SARAH🩷
“So, um, what are your hours?” asked a woman in the video, who appeared to be engaging in a sit-down conversation with the janitor.
The interaction seemed to be secretly recorded, based on the camera’s angle as it recorded.
“My hours is from 6:30 to three o’clock,” the man responded.
“Why did you leave today at 2:45?” the woman asked the man.
He immediately refuted the time the woman said he left, which resulted in a back and forth. Eventually, the woman asked him what time he thinks he left.
“When I was heading out that door, it was 2:52,” the man said.
Despite the fact that it was only a few minutes before the end of the shift, the woman continued to bombard the man with questions and yet again asks him “What are your hours?”
The heated exchange continued as the man attempted to defend himself. He tried to offer up an explanation for his early departure, but the angry boss simply wasn’t having it.
“Jonathan, stop talking,” the woman interjected. “Jonathan, what are your hours? I just want to hear them again.”
“I told you my hours already,” he replied.
“Tell me again,” she snapped right back.
The pair then reiterated his hours. And the boss, yet again, restated her position that he left early.
The worker then tried to explain why he made that decision. Apparently, Jonathan showed up early to work to help fire department workers get into the school. His explanation proved to be futile.
“Who told you to come at 6:15?” the woman shot back at her subordinate.
She argued he should’ve left the fire department waiting until the school officially opened at 6:30.
“If they don’t have a key, the building does not open until 6:30,” she argued.
Then she doubled down on her position that the man should’ve arrived and left on time.
“You don’t adjust your hours just because you feel like it.”
“Who is your boss?” she asked, attempting to make a point that the janitor wasn’t employed by the fire department.
Nonetheless, the worker maintained a respectful tone and tried his best to respond to her questions. However, by the end of the video, he said that he felt singled out because other workers often leave early and face no reprimand.
“It seem like you harassing me right now,” he said.
In the comments section, many agreed.
“Alllllll this over 8 min?!” user @aprildawnsalvatore asked.
“No one deserves to be talked to that way,” user @haleyyyhack commented. “Especially a school custodian. They do SO much.”
“This lady is so disrespectful!” @mom_of_m.e.e said. “He sounds like an amazing employee who took initiative to help when he didn’t need to. This is awful!”
“That lady is [APPALLING],” user @a.3212805 said. “Absolutely horrifying that she is in a management position. She should be fired immediately.”
“The disrespectful way she’s speaking to him,” commenter @pecasmorada_83 added. “My patience couldn’t deal with her. I’m sorry this happened to him. I hope he sues the school district.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Holley and Webb Bridge Middle School for comment via email. We will update this story should we receive a response.
In a follow up video, Holley thanked everyone for the outpouring of support he received. He also explained that he was no longer working for the school.
“I did not get fired, I was forced to resign,” he said.
He also alleged that he has since been unable to apply for a position in the school system again because his applications are denied.
“You no longer can be an employee of Fulton County,” he was allegedly told by a worker when he followed up about his applications.
He also alleged there was a conspiracy to get him fired from his job carried out by the school’s principal and a substitute principal that stepped in after she took time off due to an injury. Despite doing a great job and working hard, he said he was fired because he wouldn’t allow the woman to “control” him.
