Selling alcohol to underage minors is and should be a serious violation of the law. This is not what happened at the Ralphs market on Nov. 23, the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. The firing of Harry McDermott and Nancy Cicatelli, the hard working, dedicated employee, for what transpired on that November day is nothing more than an outrage. Assuming that all of the facts of this situation, which were contained in your article, were accurate, Mr. McDermott and Miss Cicatelli are guilty of nothing more that just being in a hurry.
As your article indicated, these Pepperdine students had purchased beer previously to that day and had been carded numerous times using their fake IDs. Mr. McDermott and Miss Cicatelli are not experts in spotting fake ID, and if they were, these underage persons would have never been able to purchase any alcoholic beverages. My question, then, is to the Ralphs policy makers. Why is there no place in your zero tolerance policy for extenuating circumstances such as these? Whatever happened to justice? Whatever happened to reason? Jurisprudence will be served when Mr. McDermott and Miss Cicatelli appear in the Malibu criminal court on Christmas Eve. The judge will more than likely throw their cases out so far out to sea that they probably will hit Catalina.
I have already let known my feelings of this situation to numerous Malibu residents and they all agree that Ralphs is over-reacting by firing these two hard working cashiers. You want to blame someone? Blame these students for putting these Ralphs employees in such a position. Blame the individuals that are responsible for the making of false IDs. Blame Pepperdine security for allowing students to drink on campus.
I would like to advise Ralphs management that if Mr. McDennott and Miss Cicatelli are not reinstated prior to Christmas, I have spent my last dollar in a Ralphs market. What kind of a Christmas do you suppose both of their families will have? Come on, Malibu, let’s help them out. I, for one, will be at the courthouse on Christmas Eve morning with something for both of them and hopefully so will all who read this.
If any of your readers are as outraged as I am, why not give the Ralphs Store Operations a call at 1-888-437-3496 or write to Ralphs Store Operations 1100 West Artesia Blvd, Compton, Ca 90220.
As pro baseball’s Yogi Berra used to quote, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” and believe me, it sure isn’t over.
Peter Haynes