Target Apologizes for Firing Security Official

Hoping to end a public relations nightmare, Target Stores announced Tuesday that it hopes to rehire a security official fired for his role in the successful search for Ventura slaying victim Sherri Dally.

The Minneapolis-based department store chain also apologized for firing John Avila, 35, Friday as head of security at its Ventura store after an outpouring of customer and community support for the laid-off worker.

“Target made an inappropriate decision to terminate John Avila, and we are sorry for the anguish that this has caused our employee and the family of Sherri Dally,” said a statement issued by corporate officials. “We apologize.”

Target spokeswoman Susan Eich acknowledged that the company’s original decision was not only a mistake, but extremely unpopular, even leading to threats of boycott.

“We did hear from quite a few customers in Minneapolis and at our store in Ventura,” she said. “We always listen to our customers. We appreciate their calls and their concerns.”

She would not say if the store managers and regional officials responsible for Avila’s dismissal would themselves be reprimanded. But she said Target executives are “taking this very seriously.”

Target has refused to comment on why Avila was fired in the first place.

But Avila said he was abruptly dismissed last week for using company letterhead, four walkie-talkies and the store parking lot while helping to organize a series of searches for Dally, a longtime friend who was kidnapped from the Target parking lot May 6.

The skeletal remains of the 35-year-old Dally, a Ventura homemaker, mother of two and day-care center operator, were found by the citizens patrol June 1.

On Tuesday, Avila said he will discuss his options with a lawyer before deciding whether to return to Target. He has received several other job offers since his firing was reported Saturday, noted his wife, Leslie.

Target’s reinstatement offer includes a transfer from the Ventura store to an Oxnard outlet--an option Leslie Avila said her husband declined in 1994, when he joined the department store chain.

She maintained that Target had little choice but to admit its mistake and offer her husband his job back. “How else are they going to get the shoppers back in the store?” she said.

Karlyne Guess, Dally’s mother, said Target officials called her Tuesday to apologize for their treatment of Avila. “I’m just glad he has an opportunity to go back to work,” she said. “I was shocked [by the firing]. Outraged.”

Avila and other members of the team that found Dally’s body have been praised by police and Dally’s family for acting on their concern.

The protest grew quickly over the weekend as word of Avila’s dismissal spread. Customers called Target to complain, and on Tuesday morning, many shoppers said they disagreed strongly with the dismissal.

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One indication of support for Avila was the reaction of Ojai resident Donald Brosnac, who saw Avila at the Target store Tuesday and sought him out in the parking lot to offer encouragement.

“They’ve got all these signs inside [the store] about caring for people, and it just seems kind of hypocritical,” Brosnac said. “We’re going inside to ask for the manager.”

All customer complaints and media inquiries were referred to the Minneapolis headquarters of Dayton Hudson, which owns Target, said a spokesman at the Ventura store.

That did not stop customers from complaining about the store’s actions and wondering aloud whether they should come back.

“What does Target stand for?” asked Diana Duff of Oak View, who was shopping with her three children. “Here’s someone who wanted to help a customer . . . and Target fires him. It does kind of make me feel I won’t shop here in the future.”

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A Target employee who hesitated to speak to reporters because of supervisors’ warnings said that half a dozen outraged customers asked him for directions to a complaint box Tuesday morning.

“A lot of us [Target employees] feel the same way,” the clerk said. “But none of us want to lose our jobs over this.”

Once word of Avila’s potential rehiring spread, his backers spoke out.

“I don’t blame them [for rehiring Avila]. I would too,” said Wanda Acquisto of Oak View, Avila’s aunt. “Everybody fired faxes off to their head offices. I jumped on it Sunday night when I heard about it. I think it’s deplorable what they did. Instead of praising John, they fired him.”

Staff writer Gali Kronenberg and correspondents Paul Elias and Jeff McDonald contributed to this article.