June 19, 2013 2 min read

This story originally appeared on Business Insider



Men's Wearhouse dismissed chairman and founder George Zimmer today, and we've never seen anything like it.

The abrupt termination begs for answers about what could have happened.

Here are three reasons why it's a bizarre story:

1. The terse press release. "The Board expects to discuss with Mr. Zimmer the extent, if any, and terms of his ongoing relationship with the Company," Men's Wearhouse said in the statement (see the full thing below). There is no polite mention of the founder's impact on the brand, as would be customary.

2. Shares and profits were gaining. The company just announced last week that profits were up a whopping 23%. Stocks have been consistently gaining over the past few years. This is not a company disaster scenario, a la Ron Johnson.

3. Men's Wearhouse cancelled its shareholder's meeting one day before. This sends a huge red flag to investors at a time when the company is trying its hardest to impress.

Clearly, the circumstances surrounding Zimmer's firing are dramatic.

Here's the company's full, icy press release: