Dillard's Accused of Racial Profiling

[NVMojo]

geez, sounds like the katrina looting thing ...

LITTLE ROCK (AP) - A new lawsuit accuses department-store chain Dillard's Inc. of engaging in racial profiling in efforts to thwart shoplifters.

Eight plaintiffs sued the company in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, saying it wrongfully accused black customers of shoplifting at stores in Arkansas, Tennessee and Florida.

The suit alleges Dillard's employees or security workers questioned the plaintiffs when they were in the stores and accused them of stealing merchandise.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/invest-corp/2005/oct/21/102108184.html

[Coventina]

1. Dillard's is infamous for this here in AZ as well

Haven't shopped there in years because of it.

[TK421]

2. I worked for Dillard's in Florida three years ago and theft occurred every

stinking day. The employees are instructed to keep their eyes on anyone who seems more interested in what the employee is doing rather than shopping

[Democrats_win]

3. CO too has a case.

http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/deliverdocument.asp?citeid=275257

Shawl vs. Dillards. A Dillards security guard accused her of stealing sandals but when they got back to the store, the sales clerk produced the sandals.

The court still ruled for Dillards. So much for taking responsibility, hey Dillards? This is how corporate America walks "tall."

Dillards has nice cloths, but they are way way overpriced. Surely they could afford to make things right.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Think Dillard's has been accused of this many times before. Just

too lazy to search for it (nap time).

[kurth]

5. Dilliards Sued For Charging Black Customers More Than Caucasian Customers

Birmingham, AL - A class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of Alabama (Western Division) against Dillards, Inc. alleging racial discrimination, deceptive sales practices, and unconscionable conduct relating to the marketing and sale of beauty salon services.

The civil action (No. CV-05-TMP-0305-W) is brought by plaintiff Debbie Deavers Sturvisant, a resident of Springville, Alabama, as a class action on behalf of all African American persons who have purchased over-priced salon services from any one of the Dillard Salons in the United States and who were harmed by the nationwide course of conduct practiced by Dillards.

The complaint, which has been filed by Attorneys Patrick Cooper and Percy Badham from the Alabama Law Firm of Maynard, Cooper and Gale, PC, states that Dillards intentionally discriminated against the plaintiff and class members by charging them higher prices for the same salon service as those charged to similarly situated Caucasian customers and by specifically instructing their employees and agents to charge higher prices for the same salon services based solely on whether the customer was African American or Caucasian....

http://www.nevisone.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=39

[noonwitch]

6. Most stores do this to some degree or another

I worked at a now-defunct West Michigan chain of department stores called Steketees when I was in high school. At my training, I was told point blank by the security people to follow around black people. I asked how the two black employees at the store felt about this policy and was given an icy stare in reply.

One day Mr. Steketee was visiting our store (we were the largest of the stores, at Eastbrook Mall in GR) he told me to follow this little old lady around. I told him "Mr. Steketee, she is a valued customer of yours who spends $50-100 each time on clothes for her granddaughter. I'm not following her around unless she asks me to."

Another time, our less-subtle security guard was following these two young black women around downstairs. The ladies rode up the escalator and looked down at him, and loudly said "It's all right, you can follow us around up here, too, if you want".

In the two years I worked there, I never caught a black shoplifter. I did catch a white cheerleader from my high school, who had plenty of money in her pocket to cover the cost, stealing clothes out of the fitting rooms.

When I was in college, a black friend of mine and I would enter the K-Zoo Steketees and separate to see who the guard would follow. They always followed her and left me alone.

The best scam when I worked there didn't happen on my watch, and the perps got away with it for a few weeks before they got caught. A black male would walk through the store and bend the tickets on the merchandise that he could re-sell. He would then send a couple of white, well-dressed ladies in to actually lift the merchandise.

I later worked at K-Mart, who did not have this policy. They were actually made it clear that no discrimination was tolerated. Hudson's claimed not to have it, but I suspect they did.

I'm pretty sure Nordstrom doesn't do this. For one thing, their sales staff is a very diverse group of people. They also hire enough sales persons to provide very personal and helpful service, which really is the best way to prevent shoplifting.

[slampoet]

10. This is so funny, I was a shoplifter in Grand Rapids about the possibly

the same time. I wore thick army issue glasses and a three piece suit to do all my stealing.

Somehow no one picked up on the fact that my fancy clothes didn't match my glasses, haircut, or shoes. The Reason? I was white and very big. No one thinks tha big dumb white guys steal. People just assume that they are only prone to violence.

I had a basic pattern. I'd apply to work at a store and if they didn't hire me I'd steal them blind. This was because it was a policy in many stores at the time not to hire students because they had "other priorities than the company" and weren't "career material"

Mind you, I only stole what I could sell, or food. And once I finally got hired (after 20 months of looking for a place that would hire students) I quit the five finger. Don't think I made much money on this though. Mostly I was stealing to be able to eat. Lunchmeat, frozen meals, ready to eat stuff.

But West Michigan was soooo easy Due to the racism. I didn't do Steketees, you make me wish I had, but Kmart was one big chain that I don't regret.

[Scout1071]

7. Not again. Have to tell you - my Mom worked at Dillard's and they

didn't stop a soul from shoplifting. Not. Hardly. Ever. My mom would complain because she would witness theft, call security and they rarely did anything. It was basically explained to her that whatever merchandise walked out the door wasn't worth another lawsuit and bad P.R. Even if the person was actually stealing.

Now, having said that, I can tell you that many years ago (approx 88), I worked at a mall office. High school job, what can I say? Anyway, the security guards and off-duty police officers that I worked with were most definitely racist and singled out black people all day long. Not all of them, but a majority of them. I would ask why they did it and they would shrug and say because a higher percentage of black people stole. I was outraged by this and often asked if they ever thought that maybe they caught more black people because they only watched black people? Crazy. Just stupid crazy. I knew plenty of white teenage girls that went thru a shoplifting phase, walking out with $75 pair of jeans and $100's of make-up. Never a word said of such things.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Yet another Kansas City Dillard's harrassment problem

They've had a horrid image in the area over their viciousness toward customers. I've not been anywhere close to one for many years, despite the fact it's within walking distance from my house.

Court Affirms $1.2M Verdict
The Associated Press

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- A federal appeals court has upheld the $1.2 million verdict against Dillard's Inc. in a bias lawsuit by a Black woman who said she was denied a free cologne sample because of her race.

The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision issued Tuesday, affirmed the 1997 award of damages to Paula Hampton. It also upheld the lower court's dismissal of a companion claim by Demetria Cooper, Hampton's niece. Unlike Hampton, Cooper had not purchased anything when the two women went to the Dillard's department store at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City.

Hampton and Cooper testified that they bought an Easter outfit for Cooper's 1-year-old son. Hampton paid for it, and both women received coupons for a free sample at the fragrance counter.

But a Dillard's security guard accused the women of shoplifting, and detained them. No evidence of theft was found. But the confrontation kept Hampton from getting her perfume sample.
(snip)

The trial included testimony that Dillard's "tracked'' Blacks after they entered the store, used race "codes'' that highlighted Black shoppers as suspicious and wrote store incident reports differentiating shoppers primarily by race.
(snip/...)

http://star94fm.com/news/VerdictUpheld.html

[Scout1071]

12. Please see the post above yours.

I'm talking about the same store. And I have to tell you, that shoplifting is a much larger problem there now, based on what I know. They are so scared shitless of a lawsuit that they let anybody walk out with anything. My mom worked there for 3 years. She left a year ago. She complained ALL THE TIME. She would call security and they would do nothing. Nada. Zip.

[area51]

9. Dillard's

Here's an article in the Houston Press newsweekly about the racial profiling @ Dillard's.

[Aimah]

11. It happens

I used to run a clothing store and I would have to train white employees not to follow black customers just on the basis of race. When a black customer would come in I would get a call to come up on the sales floor. And 99% of the time they wouldn't have any justified reason. I would have to teach them that there are signs. Over-sized clothes or too much clothes on. Old wrinkly bags or gift bags. Big potato chip bags (the metal in the bags can block old sensor equipment). Staring at you way too much and then getting an attitude when you offer help.

I'm sure I get followed a lot but the only time I get annoyed if if the workers don't say anything to me. If you walk up and say hello and try to help me shop I don't mind. It just irks me when they just stand there. I no longer shop at Nordstrom or any of the TJMaxx stores. I spent a lot of money there and had blatant run-ins with security. They didn't come out and accuse me but I watched a dept manager at Nordstrom count stacks of Diesel jeans after I looked at a pair. I didn't pay it any mind. When I went to the check out counter to pay for a sweater the girl asked to put it in my bag but while doing so she opened up the shoe box to see inside. I guess I should have told her that I used to do inventory for Nordstrom.

[Scout1071]

13. Or she could have been seeing what else she could suggest to

upsell? I'm just sayin', Nordstrom is pretty good in this area as I know them. But, if you say you were gettin' the vibe, that is good enough for me. As you can see from posts above, I most certainly saw it in action. And I was completely appalled.

But you know what? That wasn't the only sick thing about these guys. I was a 16-18 year old girl at the time and those grown men said shit to me then that I (at age 34 now) would slap them across the face for now. Looking back and knowing what I know, they were wrong.

In every way, shape and form. Wrong.

And so many of them are off-duty cops.

[Aimah]

14. I've worked retail in my families business since I was 5

and started working for other businesses around 19. I've trained up-selling and this wasn't up-selling. She didn't say anything about what was in the box. I've been to Dillard's in Houston a couple times and don't remember having any issues.

I did have a run in at a Marshall's in a mall right outside of Houston. As I was shopping a manager walked up to the rack next to me and opened it wide to look into the other side. Didn't straighten the rack didn't go to pick anything up. For that reason I don't shop at TJMaxx, Marshall's or AJ Wrights. I don't believe in giving my business to any company that doesn't make sure the workers know how to handle those kinds of issues. I taught my employees that the key to stopping loss is giving people the best customer service ever.