In a controversial turn of events, a Mississippi mother, Shakayla Dixon, was terminated from her position at Burger King after she hired her son, Corderrion Valentine, and his friends to provide them with a safe summer job opportunity. This decision was made amidst misunderstandings regarding pay policies.
Dixon’s primary motive was to keep the teens away from the prevalent summer violence in the Jackson, MS metro area by engaging them in constructive work. She believed that working at Burger King would keep them safe and help them earn some money before the school season resumed. The group’s employment quickly gained social media traction, receiving significant attention online, including a repost from celebrity Nick Cannon.
However, the situation took a downturn when her manager and district leader informed Dixon about concerns regarding the payment of her son, who is a minor. Burger King management highlighted that minors should be compensated differently, a detail that was not initially clarified to Dixon. This misunderstanding led to the eventual firing of Dixon and the teens, leaving them without jobs and Dixon struggling to manage her finances.
The community has shown support for Dixon and the teens, with many expressing disappointment over the company’s decision. In response to her sudden separation from Burger King and the financial strain resulting from it, Dixon has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover her mortgage and the upcoming school expenses for the teens.
Shakayla Dixon, the mother of 15-year-old Corderrion Valentine, told WLBT she believes it was nepotism. Dixon was the manager of the store. After hiring her son and his friends, she proudly took photos of them working and posted them on Facebook. The photos went viral and even Nick Cannon re-posted it.
“Now this is the wave!” Cannon captioned the post. “Staying out of trouble, and getting the bag the right way! This is how it’s done, Kings!”
Dixon said it was going well until she received a phone call from the restaurant chain’s district leader. The company executive claims Dixon’s son, as a minor, was getting paid what adults were supposed to get paid.
“It was never brought to my attention beforehand,” Dixon told WLBT. “… I feel like the policy wasn’t in play in the beginning.”
Valentine said he felt having the summer job and bringing his friends with him was a great thing because it kept them all out of trouble.
