Autistic students kicked out of store - Staples apologizes

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Following allegations that a manager asked a group of students with autism to leave his store, Staples has issued an apology to Poudre School District and those involved.

“Supporting schools, students and educators is at the core of our Staples business. We strive to provide a welcoming environment to all members of our community and are disappointed to that last week students and their teachers felt we fell short of that goal,” said Staples' Director of Public Relations Meghan Meikleham.
Meikleham did not address whether the store involved was considering a management change.

Staples released the apology to CBS Denver on Friday and later shared the statement with the Coloradoan.

Early last week, a group of eight students with autism went into the Staples store at Front Range Village to work on social skills when a store manager told them they had to leave because the store was “not a field trip store," according to Alé McGee, the teacher accompanying the students. She said he told them the group that visited the store the day prior for the same reason had bought no items.

McGee said she told the manager they were intending to buy something, and she told the Coloradoan that the group the day before had bought items, as well.

"I tried to explain that we go to many businesses so our students can be exposed to different settings and families feel OK taking their children places," she said.

But following the interaction with the manager, they put their items back, McGee said, and went to a Sprout’s in the same complex where they "ad-libbed price comparison shopping.”

McGee posted her story on social media and the post quickly garnered attention; as of Monday, it has more than 200 comments, many of which say they intend to boycott the store, and has been shared nearly 900 times on Facebook.

Though Meikleham said the store would “be honored and grateful if (PSD) would consider a return visit," Noblett told the Coloradoan that PSD staff are still determining whether students will return to the Staples store for similar visits in the future.

How well-behaved were the students? Did they obstruct movement of other patrons? How busy was the store? How long were they in the store?

The fact that the person running this group did not check before hand is a little dubious. Staples is not really a place to socialize.

Learning when and where to socialize is probably step 1.

Yes, seems the teacher messed up there.