Selling Girl Scout Cookies at Work Leads to Unemployment For Single Mom, Tracy Lewis [VIDEO]

By Rebecka Schumann | March 21 2013 9:35 AM

After three years of selling Girl Scout cookies at her job, single mother Tracy Lewis was shocked to be called into her boss’ office last month and fired.

Lewis, who had been working as a retail service manager at Bon Appetit for 12 years, was shocked when her boss handed her a termination letter on Feb. 18, reports FOX 5.

The D.C. resident said she never received any warnings regarding the matter.

“It’s crazy because I can’t profit from selling Girl Scout cookies. It is just a volunteer thing for the Girl Scouts,” said Lewis, mother to Girl Scout Italy Marshall, 12. “I’m a cookie mom and I’m just trying to help my daughter earn her badges and her trips and stuff like that.”

Lewis’ manager labeled her behavior as “gross misconduct by soliciting” and accused her of “operating a cash business over the counter” in the letter, but Lewis claims she did not violate company policy.

“I don’t ask them to buy the cookies,” said Lewis, who stated that for the past three years she kept the cookies on a cart and would only sell the items to customers if they requested.

CEO of the Girl Scout Council of Nation’s Capital Colleen Cibulla commented on the incident, insinuating that parents should keep the cookie selling to the kids.

“Girl Scout cookie sales are a girl-led entrepreneurial program. We want the girls to be taking the lead,” said Cibulla.

Marshall’s Troop Leader, Alina McClerkin, said she was saddened to learn about the termination of a fellow cookie mom.

“A cookie mom is very selfless person. They have to have their whole entire living room taken over by cookies. There are a lot of demands that goes along with this volunteer position, and she does it out of the goodness of her heart,” said McClerkin. “I don’t think someone should be terminated for selling Girl Scout cookies and doing such a charitable thing.”

Lewis isn’t the only one to get flamed for selling Girl Scouts cookies outside of the traditional door-to-door fashion. Reality star Alana Thompson, 7, of “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” was asked to remove the link off her official Facebook page advertising the cookie sales on behalf of a friend.

The ad was later removed after it violated Girl Scouts' policy restricting the online sale of the cookies.

“If I can raise more money for a troop, whoever they are, especially in an area where they don’t get a lot of money and parents can’t afford to buy a ton of cookies, why wouldn’t I help?” said the star’s mom, June Shannon.

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