You really can’t make this stuff up. Essentia Health in Duluth, Minnesota, issued an apology—a full-on groveling, “we’ve seen the error of our ways” kind of apology—because they dared to hand out free Chick-fil-A sandwiches to their staff. Yes, you read that right. A hospital felt compelled to apologize for feeding people.
Apparently, some staff members were so offended by the mere presence of Chick-fil-A sandwiches in the hospital’s atrium that they complained about it. And rather than responding with, “Okay, but did you want a sandwich or not?” the hospital’s senior vice president, Tammy Kritzer, jumped right into apology mode. “We value colleagues feeling comfortable expressing their reservations,” Kritzer wrote, thanking staff for their “courage” in speaking up. Courage? Against chicken sandwiches? Is this what bravery looks like in 2024?
According to the Dailywire,
“We have received feedback from some colleagues who were concerned or offended by this occurrence, and we value colleagues feeling comfortable expressing their reservations,” Tammy Kritzer, senior vice president for regional operations at Essentia Health wrote in an email to medical staff that was obtained by The Daily Wire.
“We would like to thank our colleagues who had the courage to speak up to widen our lens of inclusivity, and we appreciate all colleagues continuing to live our values of respect and justice,” Kritzer wrote.
A Hospital in Duluth, MN has apologized to their employees for serving them free Chick Fil A and called complaining employees “courageous” for speaking out against the chicken sandwiches. I wish I was joking but sadly, I’m not. https://t.co/vnhCAUS0Rr
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 20, 2024
Of course, Chick-fil-A has been a favorite target for activists because of its founder’s past support of organizations like the Salvation Army. Never mind that the company has repeatedly said it values diversity and inclusion or that its restaurants welcome everyone, no questions asked. No, a sandwich is apparently too politically loaded for some in Duluth.
The hospital was quick to distance itself from any perceived association with Chick-fil-A’s “business practices,” assuring everyone that the free lunch wasn’t an endorsement. Instead, they gave us this pearl of wisdom: “When we know better, we do better,” quoting Maya Angelou as if that somehow elevates the conversation beyond the absurdity of being mad at a chicken sandwich.
But here’s the kicker: While Essentia Health is bending over backward to apologize for feeding its staff, they’re staying silent on far more controversial practices. The hospital reportedly offers cross-sex hormones and has performed sex-change surgeries on minors. According to the Stop The Harm database, at least five such procedures have been carried out under Essentia’s care. Yet no “courageous” staff complaints seem to be coming in about that.
This whole episode feels like a parody of itself. On one hand, you have an employer falling over itself to apologize for lunch. On the other, you have the same organization making life-altering medical decisions for minors—and nobody’s issuing lengthy emails about inclusivity and justice for that.
If this is what corporate virtue-signaling has come to, it’s no wonder so many people are tuning it out. Maybe next time, Essentia can skip the sandwiches altogether and hand out a side of common sense instead. Wouldn’t that be refreshing?
