Wichita Car Dealership Fires Staff Over Racist Stickers

Rusty Eck Ford in Wichita, Kansas, fired two employees after discovering racial slurs printed on customer service stickers. The dealership confirmed four customers received the offensive language on their oil change reminder stickers.

Larry Martin, one of the affected customers, described finding the n-word inside his truck as shocking and humiliating. “I looked at it. I double-looked at it, and said, ‘this can’t be real.’ It felt humiliating,” Martin said.

The dealership investigated after customers reported the incident. On Friday, Sept. 17, 2026, Rusty Eck Ford identified and terminated two employees. One employee entered the offensive language into the sticker system, while another discovered it but failed to report it to management. Both were fired the same day.

Rusty Eck Ford issued a statement apologizing to the customers and community. “We are deeply disappointed and embarrassed that this occurred,” the statement read. “Rusty Eck Ford has been a family-owned business for more than 73 years, and our relationships with our customers, employees, and the Wichita community are extremely important to us.”

Kelsey Martin, Larry Martin’s daughter, expressed hope that the company would follow through on its promises. Larry Martin added, “I’m just hoping it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”