A 24-year-old man with a disability can make a lot of noise, his western Pennsylvania family admits. But they were shocked when he was recently asked to leave a local Walmart over this disability.

As WPXI in Pittsburgh reports, it happened at the Walmart in Baden, Pa., as the man’s mother, Tammy Sheets, tells the TV station that her 6-foot-2 son, Buddy, who is nonverbal, was booted from the store.

Sheets told WPXI that Buddy and his service worker were approached by a Walmart employee who asked them to leave because of the noises Buddy was making.

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Sheets said Buddy’s social worker was shocked:

“She said, ‘are you serious?’ Because she was shocked. And he said, ‘if he is going to continue to make those noises then yes,'” Sheets told WPXI.

Sheets has since complained to the Walmart corporate office and called the ACLU.

Reached for comment by WPXI, Walmart officials said they are aware of the situation and explained it was a misunderstanding, with Walmart maintaining Buddy and his social worker were not ordered to leave the store.

Here is the full Walmart statement released to WPXI:

“Our associates and customers reflect the diverse communities we serve and our doors are open to everyone. This was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and at no point did we ask or tell these individuals to leave or exit the store. Our management team has experience serving customers and family members with autism and working to ensure they have a positive experience in the store.”

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