A Poop-Smearing Bandit Is On The Loose In Jeep’s Engine Factory

I know Stellantis isn’t really doing so hot right now, but we’re pulling for them to turn things around. That may be why this allegedly leaked memo from a Stellantis engine plant, the Kokomo Engine Plant in Indiana that builds the 2.0-liter Global Medium Engine inline four-cylinder turbo that is bolted into Jeeps Wrangler, Compass and Grand Cherokee, feels so especially tragic. Because it’s one thing for your company to be faltering and trying to climb out of a sales slump, and a very different thing for some unnamed employee to be smearing shit all over the place in your engine plant. Because that’s what that memo is talking about.

Yes, you read that right: a Stellantis engine plant has been having so many incidents of fecal-smearing all over its bathrooms that the Wellbeing, Health, and Safety Manager of the plant had to issue this plant-wide memo essentially pleading for whoever the hell is doing this to stop acting like a deranged chimp and cease smearing shit everywhere.

I wish I was kidding. Here’s the memo, as published by The Kokomo Press:

If that scan is too hard to read, here it is in plain text (if the post gets deleted, it’s here, too):

STELLANTIS

2/3/2025

Kokomo Engine Plant- All Employees

Is it unfortunate for us all to have to deal with an employee(s) that continues to create situations that are both unsanitary and certainly disturbing. Wiping feces on the bathroom walls, the disability handle bars, door latches, sinks handles, and the piles being left on the floor does nothing other than subject our facility and SBM teams to potentially dangerous biohazards that are completely avoidable. NOTHING. So, it begs the question for us to ask “WHY?” What is it accomplishing to perform such careless and disgusting act?

Effective immediately, SBM has been directed not to cleanup after such events. With the exception being the front locker rooms, each bathroom found in this grotesque state, will be immediately locked and taken out of service until further notice. There will be folks that have some complaints and concerns about this process, but we will no longer ask our SBM staff to clean up these types of events until a detailed investigation is complete. If needed, alternate methods may be used to help pinpoint the culprit.

Lastly, change is coming. Whether it be the newly announced EVO Program or future unannounced products, KEP is being looked at for sustained production activities far beyond 2023 Managing change is always difficult, but this issue should never be an issue that needs addressing from here on.

If you know of or can provide additional information, you are free to use our anonymous kep_safety@stellantis.com email address, and the information will be kept confidential. If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

R. Tyler Adams

Wellbeing. Health, & Safety – Manager

I think Mr.Adams asks a very valid question here, and the use of all-caps I think is justified: WHY? Yes, indeed, why, why is someone at this plant taking abundant, loamy shits and then smearing it all over the walls, sink handles, railings, places where people need to touch? And then the reference to “piles” being left on the floor? Dear lord, why, why, why?

I do have to take issue with The Kokomo Press‘ phrasing of these acts as “making Picasso Poop Paintings,” because while I get the urge for that analogy, is a genuinely terrible one from an art historical context.

It’s just lazy; there’s almost nothing in the works of Pablo Picasso that resembles poop smeared on a bathroom wall. Consider this example of Picasso’s work:

Photo: YUNUSI/Depositphotos.com

That’s 1937’s Guernica, and while Picasso’s styles changed and evolved over the years, nothing he did was remotely poo-smeared-on-walls-like.

Maybe if the author picked someone like, say, Franz Kline, it would be more plausible:

Photo: Artsy.net

But they probably wanted the alliteration of Ps in “Picasso Poop Paintings.” I get that. Well, if that’s the case, freaking Jackson Pollock is right there!

Photo: Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist), National Gallery of Art

That’s much closer to something that could be rendered in poop on bathroom tile; I say this as someone who likes Jackson Pollock, too. They really should have said “Pollock Poop Paintings.”

Of course, this is trivial to the overall context of someone working at that Jeep engine factory smearing shit all over the place. Is it possible this is a hoax? It’s always possible, so our own Editor-in-Chief David reached out to the plant, who ultimately was able to get someone from Stellantis’ comms team in touch with us. (See update below).

Stellantis is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for its employees. The Company is currently investigating disturbing incidents at its Kokomo Engine Plant that have left bathroom facilities in an unsanitary condition. While the investigation is ongoing, the plant will ensure that bathroom facilities are regularly cleaned and sanitized and remain accessible to employees. Those responsible for these intentional acts will be held accountable.