Man Fired Over “Racist” ‘The Walking Dead’ Toy Speaks Out

A former bank employee who was fired after a customer took issue with a "racist" Funko toy representing The Walking Dead is publicly speaking about the controversy for the first time.

Matt Anderson, who was terminated from State Employees' Credit Union in Raleigh, North Carolina, has shared his side of the story with CBS 17.

"I would just really appreciate it if people did not think that I was a racist or anything like that," Anderson said.

The African-American customer took issue with the Funko figure in Anderson's office, which belongs to a set depicting Danai Gurira's Michonne and her pair of "pet" walkers, used by the katana-wielding zombie slayer as a means of camouflage amongst the reanimated dead.

The zombies are attached to Michonne by a chain, as they were in season 3 of the hit AMC television series. The customer took issue with what she described as "a black doll with a noose around its neck and hands tied behind its back."

The customer shared photos taken of Anderson's desk, which showed the walkers — Mike and Terry — stood separately, with no Michonne visible in the uploaded photos. Also spotted in the photos behind Anderson's name plate was a figure from the same line representing Carl Grimes.

"Idiots... Need to put [Michonne] next to him," wrote one commenter on Facebook.

"He was next to Carl for crying out loud," Anderson replied in a Facebook comment. "The lady took pictures while she was in my office and said she was posting to social media. I really hope she does."

Asked if he "got her name," Anderson replied to the person, writing, "Sent it to you." The customer captured the comments in a screen shot shared to her Facebook page.

"So what you just did was violate her privacy as a customer," wrote another Facebook user in a subsequent comment. "This will have to be reported. Thank you for making this a public announcement."

Speaking to CBS 17, Anderson said he asked the customer, "'Have you ever seen the show?'"

"She didn't respond to my question," Anderson said. "She just said that she was offended and I asked her, 'Well, why were you offended?' because I wanted to know so that I could apologize to her."

Anderson said instead of responding, the woman complained to his boss. He has since been fired after less than a year working there.

"The credit union has not given me an official reason for letting me go," he said. "The initial reaction was that I shared customer information, however that's not true. I wouldn't ever do that."

Anderson admitted to discussing the incident with a friend on Facebook, but "I did not reveal anyone's information," he said. "There was no personal identifiable information transmitted at any point during anything I made online or otherwise."

"I'm sorry that anyone took them the wrong way," Anderson said of the mini figurines, which he said were given to him by another customer. "That was definitely not my intention and I would have apologized immediately if I had been given an opportunity to."

According to CBS 17, Anderson said he was a history major in college and studied African history.

SECU declined to comment on Anderson's employment, saying only they "took immediate steps to address this personnel matter."

Anderson and his fiancé have since received threats in the wake of the controversy.

"I hope that me and my fiancé will stop receiving threats of violence," he said. "That's really the biggest thing."

The customer in the matter did not respond to CBS 17's request for comment, but as for the woman, "I don't really blame her, necessarily, for being upset, but I do kind of blame her for not handling her feelings in a more mature way and discussing them more openly," Anderson said.

In a written statement shared by SECU Executive Vice President of Organizational Development Leigh Brady on Thursday, SECU "prides itself on the fair and equitable treatment it provides its members, and takes its members' privacy seriously."

Of the Wednesday incident, Brady wrote, "the actions of one of our employees fell far short of our expectations and we took immediate steps to address this personnel matter."

The Walking Dead will return to AMC with its ninth season this fall.

This article has been updated to include comments made on social media by Anderson and the customer.