Walgreens customers cry foul after employee refuses to sell them condoms on 'religious grounds'

A pair of customers shopping at the chain pharmacy Walgreens are crying foul after an employee cited their religious beliefs to justify not selling them condoms.

NBC News reports that Wisconsin resident Nathan Pentz earlier this month was left astonished when he learned that not only did a Walgreens employee refuse to sell him and his partner condoms on "religious grounds," but that such actions were permitted by Walgreens.

A spokesperson for Walgreens said that it was important for the company to have policies that both benefit customers while at the same time respecting workers' religious liberty.

"Our policies are designed to ensure we meet the needs of our patients and customers while respecting the religious and moral beliefs of our team members," the spokesperson said. "The instances are rare, however when a team member has a moral or religious conviction about completing a transaction, they are required to refer the customer to another employee or manager on duty who will complete the transaction, which is what occurred in this instance."

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Even though Pentz was able to eventually buy the condoms, he said that the clerk's behavior served to "embarrass" his partner "in front of other customers because of her reproductive choices."