The Wendy's at 4410 North Conway Avenue in Mission is hiring.
"I've been working fast food in the front, the back, the kitchen, everywhere," Melia Ortega of McAllen said.
With some 20 years of fast food experience, Including managerial duties, Ortega felt confident she'd be hired for a position.
"I thought it was a slam dunk," she said. "I really thought I had the job."
That is until she revealed during the interview what was under her professional attire.
"I had the long sleeve jacket covering all the way to here... I had it zipped up all the way ... You could not see any of my body," she pointed out.
Tattoos cover most of right arm.
There are more on her other arm and even on her chest.
They are all sentimental to her with most representing family members who are dear to her heart.
"I have a flower here for the memory of my mother," Ortega said while pointing to her arm.
She described how the topic of tattoos came up during Saturday's interview with a store manager.
"She said 'are there any questions you might have'... and I said 'yes'... 'How do you feel about tattoos'... She straight out told me 'I don't like them.'"
Monday morning she learned her fate.
It left an indelible feeling of discrimination after she did not get hired.
"I was very hurt, appalled and disrespected."
Action 4 News put a call into Wendy's corporate office in the Rio Grande Valley to ask what the policy is when it comes to tattoos.
Less than an hour after the initial call investigating Ortega's claims, she got a call from management at Wendy's.
The area manager told her there had been a misunderstanding and they wanted to bring her back in for a second interview.
Hugo Chaparro, who's president of Wendy franchises in the Valley, said it’s against policy to discriminate against applicants.
Employees don't even have to cover tattoos as long as they are not offensive to customers, according to Chaparro, who owns 27 Wendy's restaurants across South Texas.
"I appreciate you bringing it to our attention," Chaparro said during a telephone interview. "Once we started investigating what's going on... that's when we started figuring out where we are at."
Ortega was thankful to learn her tattoos didn't disqualify her for a job.
"I think because of Action 4 News... I've been given a second chance... and I think it's the only reason why I'm given a second chance."
It's a second chance to ink the deal on a new job.
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