Overview

• Market Basket’s board of directors dismissed operations director Joseph Schmidt and grocery director Tom Gordon on July 22–23, citing insubordination and derogatory remarks.
• The board accused the executives of urging employees to slow operations, defy supervisors and spreading false rumors that bonuses would be lost if CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was removed.
• Arthur T. Demoulas, who remains on paid leave, condemned the terminations as heartless and unwarranted and described his former allies as collateral damage in a planned coup.
• Schmidt and Gordon held a press conference to call the disruption allegations preposterous and to defend their decades of service and loyalty to Demoulas.
• The board has retained law firm Quinn Emanuel to probe the alleged work stoppage while Demoulas explores legal and corporate options to reverse the firings.