A Home Depot employee says he was fired after defending himself against a customer who hurled racist insults at him last Thursday. Maurice Rucker, 60, said the company let him go after 10 years of exemplary customer service, The Albany Times Union reported. Rucker, who earns under $13 an hour, said a customer approached the check out area with an unleashed dog, so he politely asked the man to leash his canine.