Chik-fil-A is facing backlash after a hiring President of Diversity

Joshua L. Jones, Athens Banner-Herald via Associated Press

Chick-fil-A is facing backlash on Twitter after hiring a vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The fried chicken empire announced last week that it hired Erick McReynolds to assist the company in “embedding diversity, equity and inclusion” and “striving for common ground.”

“Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well. Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our corporate purpose” said McReynolds, per the Chick-fil-A statement.

Chick-fil-A — widely known as a Christian-owned company — restated its corporate purpose: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A,” followed by announcing a newfound mission to be “Better at Together.”

“One of our core values at Chick-fil-A, Inc. is that we are better together. When we combine our unique backgrounds and experiences with a culture of belonging, we can discover new ways to strengthen the quality of care we deliver: to customers, to the communities we serve and to the world. We understand that getting ‘Better at Together’ means we learn better, care better, grow better and serve better,” the statement read.

Chick-fil-A is facing backlash on Twitter

Twitter users are accusing Chick-fil-A of going “woke” for hiring a vice president of diversity, equality and inclusion. One user is even calling for the fast food chain to get boycotted.

Chick-fil-A has faced criticism before

More than a decade ago, the chicken chain was thrust into the spotlight when former Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy made comments against gay marriage on a Christian radio show.

“We’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about,” said Cathy, per The Washington Post.

In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced it would halt donations to three groups that oppose gay marriage. Instead, it would donate to homelessness, education and hunger, per AP News.

“This decision was made to create more clarity — and to better address three critical needs facing children across the communities Chick-fil-A serves,” the company said in a statement.

The decision upset some conservatives, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who said Chick-fil-A had “surrendered to anti- Christian hate groups. Tragic” in a 2019 tweet.