He Berated Shoppers for Mask Remark. Now, Repercussions

Daniel Maples, said to be a top salesman at Florida's Ted Todd Insurance, has been fired
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 8, 2020 12:50 PM CDT
Company Cans Maskless Man Who Berated Costco Shoppers
Customers wearing protective masks and adhering to social distancing line up to enter a Costco store in Los Angeles on May 16.   (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

A Florida man seen screaming at a Costco customer who asked that he wear a mask in line with company policy has lost his job. Ted Todd Insurance identified the man seen in a video viewed more than 11 million times as Daniel Maples, who's described in a biography as "the highest-producing sales agent in the company," per the Fort Myers News-Press. "Their behavior in the video is in direct conflict with our company values and their employment has been terminated," says CEO Charley Todd, adding that "threatening behavior and intimidation go against our core mission to be trusted advisors in our community." A customer began filming Maples at the Fort Myers Costco on June 27 as he reacted to another shopper who'd asked him to wear a mask. Maples yelled, "I feel threatened!," then walked toward the customer with clenched fists.

"You are coming close to me," the customer said. "Back the [expletive] up, put your [expletive] phone down!" railed Maples, still approaching. He appeared to turn back after someone yelled, "Dan!" The video went viral Monday after it was shared by filmmaker Billy Corben. He tells the News-Press that the politicization of the coronavirus pandemic is "costing lives." Still, he didn't mean for Maples to be fired and "it's unfortunate that people are going to be judged for the rest of their lives on one moment." In the aftermath, another man named Daniel Maples received a flood of messages accusing him of being a white supremacist and racist despite him living in Illinois and never having visited a Costco, per WBBH. Employees escorted the other Maples out of the Fort Myers store, per the Orlando Sentinel. Masks have been required at Costco since May 4. (More face masks stories.)

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