Michigan Grocery Worker Who Hugged Too Much Pleads Guilty

WHITEHALL, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A decades-long grocery employee accused of giving unwanted hugs to customers in western Michigan has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.

Fred Civis of Whitehall appeared in court Friday. The 57-year-old was placed on probation and told to enroll in a behavioral program.

Civis told the Muskegon Chronicle he entered a plea because he just wanted to end the controversy.

Civis worked for nearly 40 years at Plumb's Valu-Rite Foods in Whitehall, 55 miles northwest of Grand Rapids. He was fired last summer after complaints of unwanted touching by women.

But Civis had supporters who criticized Plumb's and had set up a Facebook page. Plumb's says Civis repeatedly failed to follow store policy.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.