Update: Idaho State Liquor Division Dress Code Released After Employee Fired for BLM Mask

By Greg Pruett • September 12, 2020

Recently, we posted a story about a Moscow, Idaho woman (Paige Tilley) who claimed she was fired for wearing a “black lives matter” mask to work.

The woman says she had worn a different mask previously that said “White silence is violence.” She said she was warned not to wear political masks at work.

In the previous story, Tilley said she didn’t feel that her new mask with numerous statements on it was “political.”

We reached out to the Idaho State Liquor Division to ask about the dress code and whether or not any guidance was put out about mask-wearing.

Idaho Dispatch received several emails from Jeff Anderson who is the Director of the Idaho State Liquor Division.

In the first email, Anderson sent us part of the employee handbook which discusses employee appearances. Here is a screenshot of the “Retail Division” portion of the manual:

In the second paragraph, the company says that they have the right to determine if an employee is dressed appropriately and if they are not, they can send them home until their appearance is acceptable.

We then sent a second email to Anderson to ask him if any specific guidance was given on mask-wearing. Additionally, we asked Anderson if firing an individual who had been warned one time over a mask-wearing issue was typical for the agency.

Here is the response we received from Anderson about the mask requirements at Idaho’s Liquor Stores,

The Division issued a policy that all employees were to wear masks while on duty. Masks were provided. The Personal Appearance Standard addresses what is appropriate.

According to Anderson stores were given masks that employees could wear but he does not indicate if those specific masks were required. Anderson also does not indicate what the typical disciplinary procedures are for employees who violate the dress code outside of sending them home until they comply.

Some companies and government agencies may not comment on personnel issues and that may be the case here.

Based on the requirements laid out in the dress code and Anderson’s email regarding masks, does this change your view, or does it solidify it even more on this mask issue?

Let us know in the comments below.