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Fred Zeledon is thin man in his thirties with an easy smile and sensitive hazel eyes. He also has mild muscular dystrophy, a disability that causes him to slur when he talks and drag one side of his body a bit. He works at Wal-Mart on Northwest 13th Street near the Dolphin Expressway in Doral, where colleagues rave about him. “[Fred] is one of the best and hardest workers that we have on [our] team,” writes one co-worker who requested anonymity.
Yesterday Riptide spoke to him about an EEOC claim he filed against the corporation, in which he notes bosses harass him by demanding impossible tasks – such as cleaning every single department in the store. The complaint also notes bosses have been refusing to give him breaks. When he took the matter to higher- ups, Zeledon says, they demoted him because he was “too slow.”
Wal-Mart staff responded to the complaint, noting: “He is neglecting certain areas” and “leaving groceries in horrible conditions.” They have also have stated through lawyers that Zeledon “never asserted that he suffered from a disability.” We’re looking into to the case. We’d like to hear from South Floridians who have experienced something similar with this corporation.
