Jason Laska stopped at a Little Caesars Pizza in Brook Park, Ohio, on Saturday night and brought home grab-and-go pizza.
But he and his wife Misty said they were shocked to find a swastika on the pizza formed by pepperonis, WOIO-TV reported.
Image source: WOIO-TV video screenshot
What are the details?
"It's not funny," Jason Laska told WOIO. "It's not funny. Especially with everything going on in the world right now."
The couple told the station they tried calling the restaurant but were unable to reach anyone.
So they took a photo of the pizza featuring the pepperoni swastika — which was backward — and posted it to social media, WOIO reported.
So my husband stopped at #LittleCaesars for a quick bite, husband brings this home! I’m truly disappointed. This is… https://t.co/HTXvJkNo9X— misty laska (@misty laska) 1593326087.0
Oops!
Turns out Misty Laska learned the culprits were teenage employees just joking around — and they mistakenly sold the offending pizza to her husband, the station said. The teens weren't named because some of them are juveniles, WOIO said.
A reporter visited the Little Caesars location Sunday, but she said it was closed despite its 11 a.m. opening time.
Couple wants culprits held to account
The Laskas told the station they want those responsible for the pepperoni swastika held accountable.
"The point is, there should not be this kind of hate happening today," Misty Laska added to WOIO. "With the climate we're in right now, why make a joke like that?"
Jason and Misty Laska discovered the pepperoni swastikaImage source: WOIO-TV video screenshot
Jason Laska concurred, telling the station that "we're trying to solve hate, and even if this was just a joke internally for the employees, just stop. Stop with the symbolism and let it go away."
Chop, chop
WOIO shared a statement from Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc.: "We have zero tolerance for racism and discrimination in any form, and these franchise store employees were immediately terminated. We're deeply disappointed that this happened, as this conduct is completely against our values. We have also reached out to the customer to discuss this personally with him."
Misty Laska also took an opportunity Sunday to upbraid those who doubted the couple's story:
sn’t is hilarious all the folks calling my husband and I LIARS and accusing us of staging it YET, the employees ADM… https://t.co/vPl8OHGHFQ— misty laska (@misty laska) 1593391553.0
"I hope, at the very least, that you get free pizza pizza forever," one tweet commenter noted.
Here's a report on the incident from WEWS-TV: