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CHARLESTON, W.Va. » A West Virginia pizza restaurant has been shut down after a district manager was caught on surveillance video urinating into a sink.
Pizza Hut Corp. spokesman Doug Terfehr said Wednesday the company was made aware of the video Tuesday and fired the employee shortly thereafter. The restaurant in Kermit, about 85 miles southwest of Charleston, was then closed indefinitely.
The video dated Jan. 29 shows the manager urinating in a metal sink in a food preparation area. The incident occurred after business hours.
The restaurant is owned by Wichita, Kan.-based Rage Inc. The company’s website says it owns Pizza Huts in seven states. In West Virginia, it also has locations in Ceredo, Chapmanville, Danville and two in Logan.
Rage referred questions to Terfehr, who issued a statement saying the company was "embarrassed by the actions of this individual."
The employee’s name wasn’t released.
"Pizza Hut has zero tolerance for violations of our operating standards, and the local owner of the restaurant took immediate action and terminated the employee involved," the statement said. "While the isolated incident occurred during non-business hours and did not involve any food tampering, we follow strict safety and handling procedures and the restaurant has since been closed. We apologize to our customers of Kermit, West Virginia and those in our system who have been let down by this situation."
Mingo County health official Brett Vance said the company is overseeing the restaurant’s cleaning. A health department notice posted on the restaurant’s door said conditions in the restaurant constituted a substantial public health hazard.
The video and firing were first reported by WOWK-TV.
