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286
Mom Left Outraged After 27-Year-Old Daughter With Down Syndrome Gets “Taken” To Car Dealership
A “cognitively impaired” woman with Down syndrome was taken from her home by a salesman in a bid to make her buy a car. The questionable gesture left the vulnerable person’s mother completely outraged. The incident prompted discussions on discrimination awareness and accessibility ethics.
Taking to her Facebook page on July 17, Angie Martin, a working mom of seven, shared a candid post recalling the “terrifying incident” that occurred at the Honda dealership in Abilene, Texas, USA.
Highlights
- A cognitively impaired woman with Down syndrome was taken from her home by a salesman to buy a car, sparking outrage from her mother.
- Angie Martin shared the incident on Facebook, criticizing the Honda dealership in Abilene, Texas, for their exploitative actions.
- The dealership's Vice President defended the salesperson's actions, citing anti-discrimination laws and a commitment to inclusivity.
“I’m still shaking from both fear and anger,” Angie wrote. “I’m posting on behalf of Hope, as well as on behalf of our local Upside Down Club community and the National Down Syndrome, National Down Syndrome communities at large, as well as others who have additional needs in our world. I’m an advocate, through and through!”
Hope Martin is Angie’s third youngest, who is 27 years old and has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.
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Hope Martin, who has Down syndrome, was taken from her home by a salesman in a bid to make her buy a car
Image credits: BigCountryHomepage
The distressed mom, who works as a therapist, wrote: “Today Hope somehow managed to figure out how to call Honda, where she spoke with Jodye Renfrow-Burke, informing him that she wanted to buy a car.
“This man took it upon himself to come to our home and take Hope, without my knowledge or consent, to Honda of Abilene to attempt to assist her in purchasing an automobile.”
Angie later told KTAB/KRBCon July 18: “My heart’s beating faster just thinking about it.
“I got a text from her father, and he was like, ‘I got a couple texts from someone at Honda.’ She had apparently called them multiple times and said I want to buy a car.”
Image credits: Angie Griggs Martin
As per the counselor’s Facebook post, Hope’s plans to purchase a car fell through. Nevertheless, Angie accused Jodye’s manager, Glenn Burkhart, in addition to other Honda employees, of being complicit in the “predatory and exploitative” endeavor.
Hope’s desire to drive is something she and her mother have discussed before, KTAB/KRBC reported.
Moreover, Angie reportedly said she believed she had adequately conveyed to her daughter that the decision was not up to her but rather to State motor vehicle institutions.
“When someone meets Hope, it is immediately apparent that she has Down syndrome, and due to their growing presence in media, the general public is quite aware of the limitations of people who have Down syndrome,” Angie wrote on Facebook.
The questionable gesture left Hope’s mom, Angie Martin, completely outraged
Image credits: Karina Hollingsworth
The dedicated Christian also clarified that Hope is unable to obtain a driver’s license, nor can she drive or “reach the pedals of any standard-size auto.”
“Hope has been declared incompetent by a judge, and I have full guardianship of her,” Angie stated on social media.
She told KTAB/KRBC: “As you are as a mom, I was so angry that this had happened and that a strange man would have the audacity to come and take my daughter, who obviously is cognitively impaired, out of my home without my consent, let alone to do something so drastic.”
On Facebook, Angie recalled: “When this strange man met her at our private home, once realizing that she obviously is mentally disabled, he didn’t choose to do the right thing and leave her alone safely or have her call her mom.
“Nope. He just took her.”
Image credits: Google Maps
The mother revealed that while Hope had temporarily gone missing at the dealership, she had notified the local police and even consulted with two detectives.
Angie reportedly said officers consulted with their own special needs experts at the department and stated that “kidnapping is not kidnapping if someone agrees to go willingly.”
While the mother reportedly said that she disagreed, given that Hope cannot legally make major decisions, she said she was thankful for their guidance.
“The sale, apparently, is the only thing that Honda teaches their employees to consider,” Angie wrote. “Not decency, not kindness, not caution. Only the sale.”
Angie recalled the “terrifying incident” that occurred at the Honda dealership in Abilene, Texas, USA
Image credits: Angie Griggs Martin
Vice president of All-Star Honda, Nicholas Varela, reportedly said it was not uncommon at the dealership for their associates to provide transportation to potential customers if they call as Hope did.
Nicholas told KTAB/KRBC in a statement: “At All-Star Honda, we pride ourselves on our commitment to serving every customer with respect, dignity, and fairness— free of discrimination of any kind.
“Recently, an incident occurred that we feel it is important to address directly.
“We are prohibited by law to discriminate or refuse service to anyone based on their membership in a protected category, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We are currently addressing this matter internally to ensure that we uphold the highest standards of inclusivity and respect.
“As a family-owned dealership, we do our best to act in the best interest of our customers and deeply regret any harm this may have caused.
“We apologize for any concern this may have caused and appreciate the community’s understanding and support while we navigate this matter.”
Image credits: Angie Griggs Martin
Regardless of discrimination laws, Angie explained that Hope lacked the “inhibitions and limits” typically developing people have, and she is “always trying to thread that needle between her rights as a human being and her safety.”
“What legislation attempts to do is to call us to a higher standard, not give us an excuse for our failures,” Angie responded to Nicholas’ statement. “That’s not why it exists…I’m sure that they’re on the learning curve and that they’re rethinking things and examining things and I think that good will come of this.”
She continued: “[They told me] that their job is to sell cars, Hope wanted to buy a car.
“Their job is not to discern whether someone is capable of buying a car, which brings up so many alarming questions like what about someone with dementia?”
Hope’s desire to drive is something she and her mother have discussed before
The therapist’s initial outrage with the young salesman soon subsided, as she wrote on Facebook: “I’ve processed a lot of things this week, and I choose to believe that everyone was doing the best he could with the limited or nonexistent training he had received.
“I’m confident that those impacted by this event will choose to grow and learn, and this is an opportunity for Hope and me to continue to grow and learn as well.”
Nicholas told KTAB/KRBC in response to the incident that dealership sales staff will be educated on appropriate procedures in these types of situations, leading to better outcomes in the future.
Meanwhile, Angie, who currently owns a Honda, said she would continue to live her happy life with her family “Honda-free,” with her current car being the first and last from the Japanese brand.
As per the now-relieved mom, Hope is currently home and safe. “She will no longer be in possession of an iPhone, however,” Angie concluded. “And new cameras are going up at my home’s perimeter!”
“I can’t even imagine the terror of her being gone,” a reader commented
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What do you think ?
Ace 1 year ago (edited)
It's worth bearing in mind that somebody at the dealership had contacted the father, so this "sale at any cost" rhetoric is clearly BS, as is this post's headline - nobody actually "sold her a car". ETA: glad to see that someone's modified the headline here on BP at least.
Jonas Fisher 1 year ago
Context is desperately needed here. An adult calls a dealership wanting a car, asking for a visit from a salesperson. The guy arrives, and probably can see that this person isn't as fully functional as one might expect....maybe. But these days, isn't there a big risk of being accused of "ableism" if he had said, "I think you're incapable of knowing what you want, despite being an adult and having made the choices and actions necessary to call and talk to us."
Becky Samuel 1 year ago
It's literally breaking the ADA for them to do that.
Load More Replies...
Jan 1 year ago
Mom lost me at her dedicated Christian description of herself. What did that have to do with this story. She has a child that is rebelling against her parental authority. Welcome to parenthood. There are a lot of people that could have taken advantage of this young woman and it sounds like the dealership contacted her father and there was never any danger of her being able to purchase a car on her own. The dealership did do the right thing and cannot be blamed for her daughter's actions. Most mentally challenged people can be taught skills and many are able to live independent lives with a little help. Perhaps mom needs to work to give her child more autonomy instead of taking her phone away. Her actions clearly show she is wanting more independence. Maybe family services needs to step in on this young woman's behalf.
FreeTheUnicorn 1 year ago
They didn't sell her the car, they picked her up as she requested. They texted her dad. Down syndrome in a 27nyear old doesn't automatically mean the person can't be independent. Can't look at cars, can't drive. If the adult they were communicating with insisted she was fine to go look at the cars, why would the dealership question this? Clearly they didn't have her sign documents, or purchase a car. They reached out to a guardian, what more could they do? It's not predatory unless they are taking her money.
Robert T 1 year ago
She is legally an adult and was obviously left home alone. If she has "been declared incompetent" then surely the onus is on the mother/family to not leave her unsupervised. It is quite clear that it became apparent that she was not able to actually deal with buying a car when she got to the dealership, and the dealership tried to contact her father at that point. Sounds like the mother is out for compensation.
Giraffy Window 1 year ago (edited)
Yeah, if they had showed up like a vacuum cleaner salesman and whisked her away to the dealership I'd be on the mom's side. But this is a story of an adult woman calling a car dealership, and them doing their job. They couldn't have known she was under conservatorship, as there are absolutely people with downs syndrome who live independently and drive themselves places. Plus, when you don't have a car and want to buy one, someone from the dealership will absolutely offer to come drive you to the dealership. Sounds like Hope was just wishing for a little more independence
Deborah B 1 year ago
There are people with Down Syndrome who live independently, drive, and own cars. If one of them had been attempting to buy a car, and the sales person refused to assist them, it would have been insulting and discriminatory. People with DS are not prisoners. They can order taxis, or ubers, or make transport arangements with car dealers. Refusing to transport them without parental permission to leave the house would be infantalising and infuriating to the many capable people who shouldn't be put in the position of having to constantly justify their right to free movement. This is a tough situation, but maybe put a tracker on the daughter's phone to notifies the guardian when she leaves the house? Put specific protections in place for her, rather than making access harder for developmentaly diverse people who make their own decisions.
Binky Melnik 1 year ago
I can’t decide how I feel about this. The dealership says they happily pick up people who express interest in buying a car. People seem to feel he shoulda taken one look at her and said “Nope! Not gonna do it!” What if she were, say, black, and he said the same thing? The net would go up in flames for that (as it should). But people want him to diagnose someone (I’m not certain I’d have known she has DS just from looking at her) and flatly refuse her? This doesn’t make sense to me. I need to read some more to see whether I can find a side I agree with, but I’m not sure it’s gonna be possible.
Undercover 1 year ago
If the daughter is so heavily mentally impaired, why was she left alone in the first place? 🤔 There could have been a housefire, a scammer at the front door, a gas leak or an other emergency that the daugther (if she's that handicapped) would be unable to handle. Neither my aunt (dementia) nor my uncle (late stages of brain tumor) couldn't be left alone for a minute, because of their dwindling mental abilities.
Aline 1 year ago
There's nothing wrong with an adult looking at cars, if they have down syndrome or not. The dealership gave her a lift to see the cars even though they probably knew wasn't going to end in a sale. They treated her respectfully and even contacted her dad ,I weren't turning her out on the street unless she bought a vehicle. This a non story. Having Downs doesn't necessarily mean you can't drive/own a car, have a job, or travel independently. If going to a dealership is not safe, that's for her and her guardians to sort out.
Ace 1 year ago (edited)
It's worth bearing in mind that somebody at the dealership had contacted the father, so this "sale at any cost" rhetoric is clearly BS, as is this post's headline - nobody actually "sold her a car". ETA: glad to see that someone's modified the headline here on BP at least.
Jonas Fisher 1 year ago
Context is desperately needed here. An adult calls a dealership wanting a car, asking for a visit from a salesperson. The guy arrives, and probably can see that this person isn't as fully functional as one might expect....maybe. But these days, isn't there a big risk of being accused of "ableism" if he had said, "I think you're incapable of knowing what you want, despite being an adult and having made the choices and actions necessary to call and talk to us."
Becky Samuel 1 year ago
It's literally breaking the ADA for them to do that.
Load More Replies... Jan 1 year ago
Mom lost me at her dedicated Christian description of herself. What did that have to do with this story. She has a child that is rebelling against her parental authority. Welcome to parenthood. There are a lot of people that could have taken advantage of this young woman and it sounds like the dealership contacted her father and there was never any danger of her being able to purchase a car on her own. The dealership did do the right thing and cannot be blamed for her daughter's actions. Most mentally challenged people can be taught skills and many are able to live independent lives with a little help. Perhaps mom needs to work to give her child more autonomy instead of taking her phone away. Her actions clearly show she is wanting more independence. Maybe family services needs to step in on this young woman's behalf.
FreeTheUnicorn 1 year ago
They didn't sell her the car, they picked her up as she requested. They texted her dad. Down syndrome in a 27nyear old doesn't automatically mean the person can't be independent. Can't look at cars, can't drive. If the adult they were communicating with insisted she was fine to go look at the cars, why would the dealership question this? Clearly they didn't have her sign documents, or purchase a car. They reached out to a guardian, what more could they do? It's not predatory unless they are taking her money.
Robert T 1 year ago
She is legally an adult and was obviously left home alone. If she has "been declared incompetent" then surely the onus is on the mother/family to not leave her unsupervised. It is quite clear that it became apparent that she was not able to actually deal with buying a car when she got to the dealership, and the dealership tried to contact her father at that point. Sounds like the mother is out for compensation.
Giraffy Window 1 year ago (edited)
Yeah, if they had showed up like a vacuum cleaner salesman and whisked her away to the dealership I'd be on the mom's side. But this is a story of an adult woman calling a car dealership, and them doing their job. They couldn't have known she was under conservatorship, as there are absolutely people with downs syndrome who live independently and drive themselves places. Plus, when you don't have a car and want to buy one, someone from the dealership will absolutely offer to come drive you to the dealership. Sounds like Hope was just wishing for a little more independence
Deborah B 1 year ago
There are people with Down Syndrome who live independently, drive, and own cars. If one of them had been attempting to buy a car, and the sales person refused to assist them, it would have been insulting and discriminatory. People with DS are not prisoners. They can order taxis, or ubers, or make transport arangements with car dealers. Refusing to transport them without parental permission to leave the house would be infantalising and infuriating to the many capable people who shouldn't be put in the position of having to constantly justify their right to free movement. This is a tough situation, but maybe put a tracker on the daughter's phone to notifies the guardian when she leaves the house? Put specific protections in place for her, rather than making access harder for developmentaly diverse people who make their own decisions.
Binky Melnik 1 year ago
I can’t decide how I feel about this. The dealership says they happily pick up people who express interest in buying a car. People seem to feel he shoulda taken one look at her and said “Nope! Not gonna do it!” What if she were, say, black, and he said the same thing? The net would go up in flames for that (as it should). But people want him to diagnose someone (I’m not certain I’d have known she has DS just from looking at her) and flatly refuse her? This doesn’t make sense to me. I need to read some more to see whether I can find a side I agree with, but I’m not sure it’s gonna be possible.
Undercover 1 year ago
If the daughter is so heavily mentally impaired, why was she left alone in the first place? 🤔 There could have been a housefire, a scammer at the front door, a gas leak or an other emergency that the daugther (if she's that handicapped) would be unable to handle. Neither my aunt (dementia) nor my uncle (late stages of brain tumor) couldn't be left alone for a minute, because of their dwindling mental abilities.
Aline 1 year ago
There's nothing wrong with an adult looking at cars, if they have down syndrome or not. The dealership gave her a lift to see the cars even though they probably knew wasn't going to end in a sale. They treated her respectfully and even contacted her dad ,I weren't turning her out on the street unless she bought a vehicle. This a non story. Having Downs doesn't necessarily mean you can't drive/own a car, have a job, or travel independently. If going to a dealership is not safe, that's for her and her guardians to sort out.
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