Jenkinson's fires worker who kicked girls out of gift shop

After initially opting to suspend her, Jenkinson's decided Tuesday to fire a gift shop worker who made a group of black girls on a camp trip leave the store last week.

The woman, whose name has not been released by Jenkinson's, told the group on Aug. 10 that they needed a chaperone to be in the boardwalk gift shop in Point Pleasant Beach.

Even after they returned with one, the employee asked the girls to leave again and they were "not welcome" according to a viral Facebook post from the leader of the group, Attiyya Barrett.

"This incident does not reflect the core values of the boardwalk," Jenkinson's media relations director Toby Wolf wrote. "In our 90 year history, Jenkinson's has always been and will continue to be the place where people from all races, religions, ages, genders and cultures are welcome."

The shoreside business also said it will be conducting a diversity training program for its employees in "the very near future" to avoid a similar situation from happening again.

Jenkinson's has said it has been in contact with Barrett and "will continue to work with her to make amends."

In a video posted on Barrett's Facebook page, she asked the employee why the girls were told to leave the store and the employee responded, "Because they don't have a chaperone."

"I didn't think she was a chaperone," the employee said when asked why they were asked to leave again once they returned with one.

"They are not welcome in here," she added.

Barrett said in her post that she felt the campers were "racially profiled and discriminated against."

"I had to explain to 40 girls that they are still valuable and they're green dollars still spends even if racist folks try to hurt them," Barrett said in her post.

In a post around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Barrett said, "I can not relish in another woman's decrease. BUT I am a firm believer in consequence.

The group of 40 Paterson girls, whose ages range from 6 to 14 from, are part of Princess to Queenz, a summer camp and mentoring program. Ten adult chaperones accompanied the girls on their trip.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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