Black Customer Gets Accused Of Stealing His Own Jacket, So He Makes Them Regret It
First impressions are often wrong, and in this case, it was also humiliating. 29-year-old James Conley III has shared a series of videos, showing a West Des Moines Old Navy employee accusing him of stealing a jacket. “I was accused that I didn’t pay for my blue bubble jacket that I got for Christmas that I wore into the store,” he wrote.
Conley’s story has attracted the interest of the entire county, accumulating over 113K reactions and 150K shares on Facebook. The man plans to file a civil rights complaint and then a civil damages lawsuit. He claimed that the nationwide reaction to his Facebook post helped him realize how huge and widespread of an issue racial profiling is.
Scroll down to read what James and Old Navy itself have to say about the incident.
More info: Facebook
James Conley, a regular customer of Old Navy has just had a shopping experience he will probably never forget
Leaving the shop, James couldn’t believe what just happened
Soon after, Old Navy (owned by Gap Inc.) released a statement about the situation
Regardless, James plans to file a civil rights complaint and then a civil damages lawsuit. What’s your take on the incident? Let us know in the comments below!
So glad he recorded this nonsense and got the names as faces of those people. They're pathetic and he truly kept his cool through it all. An amazing reaction given the situation he was put in.
He was great! Keeping his composure the way he did, magnifies the absurdity of the situation.
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so you say...yet an apology and the firing of the three employees is not enough for him?? Now it's all about the money he thinks he will make after he files the lawsuits.
That is one possible reason but you're missing out on the big picture. If he should win a lawsuit, what do you suppose the company will do to prevent future incidents like this. If I was the CEO, I would very quickly implement a training program for all employees to participate in annually. It also sheds light on why "Black Lives Matter" too!
After 16 years of being in retail, all colors, genders and ages steal.
This is true, but young black males are profiled. There is absolutely no doubt about that.
@Charlotte: But those baby strollers make for great hiding places. The baby may not be stealing, but all the accessories help enable the parent(s) to. It's a shame that some children are raised that it's totally ok to steal. To Megan's point. Amen, in my 25+ years working retail, it's always been stressed, to never assume based on appearance, but focus on behavior instead.Thieves tend to give themselves away. Had a Loss Prevention mgr tell us the story of how he was touring a store when they saw 2 guys walk in grab a canoe put it over their heads and walk out. Some random shopping even held the door assuming that no one would be that brazen.
I disagree. I have yet to see a new born shoving a pair of shoes inside it's romper...
@heather mack-scott It's also sad when people are raised racist too.
Lol Charlotte. I have seen a young as 2, it was out of a bulk foods bin and his mother brought him back and forced the store manager to tell him he was going to call the cops and throw him in jail. The kid just about pissed himself.
10+ years of working contract security makes me doubt that very much, actually. Race is a very poor indicator of a person's intention. Like when I ask a person if I can help them find someone... my intention is to be helpful. not, somehow, passive-aggressively tell people they don't belong. If I have some reason to believe you don't belong, I'll ask flat-out what your doing in my building. Race is never a reason to do that. Gender sometimes has been, however. (there was a lawyer that specialized in spousal abuse. Sometimes angry husbands showed up. They got to find out how I feel about spousal abuse.)
This is my experience too, at least in Germany black people ain´t shot by the police, but I see racism so often, at the stores, at authorities, downtown, everywhere, #BlackLivesMatter, and we´re all God´s children, no matter what colour of skin, religion, ethnical origin, gender or sexual direction we have!!!
There's also no doubt about him walking into a store wearing a jacket from said store, with the tag still on. Said jacket he got months ago. If I was stopped in an Old Navy because my jacket I got before still had a tag, I would stick up for myself, apologize for causing an event, and ask them to check the security cameras. Once the tapes confirm I came in with the jacket, I'd apologize and be on my merry way. I guess if I'm black(I'm not) I could've filmed it, posted it on facebook captioning "Racist! LOL", filed a lawsuit, got 3 minimum-wage workers probably working paycheck to paycheck fired, and be praised by the media. If only I was black.
Most young people are profiled....whether black, white, Spanish.... it’s the age that’s profiled. Not color
Some stores are so deep in black areas they gotta suspect who they suspect they cannot wait for a Swedish tourist to walk in BUT ys still should have cause the cameras are right there.
Thus, all the clever thieves use young white girls yo do their shoplifting. At the peril of the Retailers. 2-types-of...bd0300.jpg
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BS. Lisa
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What about the multiple white friends I've had that get watched like a hawk as soon as they enter a mall, a store, etc. I've had friends who have gone through this who were white(big surprise) but you don't see them marching up and down the streets making a big fucking scene acting like the world owes them something. Black people aren't victims, the ones like you like having privilege and act like you had chains and shackles on 100+ years ago.
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It’s a matter of the bad blacks ruining things for the good ones, there’s a majority of prisons are filled with black guys and that really ruins things for the good black people
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15 years ago, definitely. not so much today. corporations will not tolerate it..what happened here was an anomaly, it's not the norm... and they all were destroyed. guess we're all happy now. I will sleep so much better knowing some clerks were canned.
Sure, it happens. But once you find out that you, as the store manager, was wrong and that the person did NOT steal anything and was a paying customer, you should have the decency and professionalism to apologize to that customer 12 ways from Sunday. Maybe even find a way to make it up to him for his time and inconvenience, not to mention all of the other things he was feeling at that moment. There were 100 different ways that could have gone to make it better than just totally dismissing him and the shit he had just been put through. Basic customer service and human decency.
A nice gift card for example would have helped with some huge apologies!
A simple "Oh we´re sorry, but we sell the same jackets too here" would´ve done it for James, I think, but NOPE, not a single sign of regret or any apologize!!!
That's just the subtle racism we as young black men face in this country. :-( sad-baby-5...e23479.gif
I think he didn't go apologize because he realized after the filming and calling the cashiers racist that this was a get-rich-quick-because-I'm-black and not a simple mistake and he didn't want to lose his job, be hated by the media, and get his life ruined by some piece of shit. "Basic costumer service and human decency"? Say that to James.
And how many white people did they stop under the same circumstances?
add the 4 carry the one divide by pi.... 0 they stopped 0
This is anecdotal but I look white & am a young female. I have often walked into stores wearing merchandise I have purchased there & have never once been stopped & treated like this man was.
When I worked retail (2 diff companies) we weren't even allowed to confront a customer who looked suspicious unless they tried to walk out of the store with merchandise that we personally saw them steal. The scenario here is disrespectful & at least borders on illegal (it IS illegal where I live.)
Excellent question.
I don't know how many but I'd bet they were young and did not look so well to do. they profile everything and sometimes it's not done equally and most times that doesn't equal racism, just a bit of common sense. The store has to strictly define common sense stops and what is just cause. Smart shop lifters work in teams with a innocent one acting suspicious and while they are tied up with them they get the good stuff.
even rich people steal!
Even( he said with a tongue dripping with sarcasm)via GIPHY
Dum dum he came in the store with the jacket on so he didn't steal it pay attention
I think you missed the point of Megans comment.
so???????????? Do we treat everyone like this??? If one is caught in surveillance camera, than also he/she is asked to go inside the manager's cabin and whatever procedure has to be followed are observed. No way one should be humiliated like this.
Your comment almost sounds like you are condoning the actions of the Old Navy staff, by stating "All colors, genders and ages steal." While that most likely IS an accurate statement, why would you even bother to comment on it if not to try an condone the (now fired) staff's actions? If anything, you could have commented some such as: while it is possible that ANY person, regardless of race, color or creed, can be accused of theft, the staff of Old Navy could have, and SHOULD HAVE, used a LOT more discretion and tack when dealing with a customer they were concerned to have been involved in a property theft." That leaves the accusatory nature of your wording out yet allows for employees to actually to do their jobs and conduct a THOROUGH investigation and apologizing for any error and/or inconvenience this customer had been made to endure. The customer, OTOH, was smart to remain calm, cool and respectful while (RIGHTFULLY!) maintaining his innocence! Must we all start wearing Body Cams?
^ (STOOPID autocorrect...change "tack" to "tact" to make it right and remove the capital "A" where I was quoting Megan's comment, too. Also, add quotations at the beginning of my inclusion sentence and capitalize MY addition at the start of my suggested comment insertion. I suppose "I" should use a bit more care to be sure I don't throw rocks at folks in glass houses before I ensure MY house is in order, eh? LOL :-)
I didn't read the comment that way at all. I thought the OP was emphasizing how ignorant it was to profile the guy. I took it as a msg to Old Navy; like "Hey you dummy's, all thieves are not young, black guys." (and nor are all young, black guys thieves.)
And ... some of the biggest thieves are those who work retail!
Boy you have that right. I've seen it multiple times as an emp!oyee and a store owner.
Don't know if it was meant to be, but this is a rather funny comment.
And that contributes to he situation HOW?
True. But I go into a store that has places all over our city area, and the only ones that do that are in non-white areas. I asked about that and they TOLD me it's because they don't need them in other stores. Sad, but true. So there is a precedent set.
Yes, this! Everybody can and will steal, but here’s another thing. Young black men already know you suspect them, so guess what? The people they don’t think are stealing, know they aren’t suspected at all, so...
So does that necessarily follow then that this man is a thief? talk about type casting where on Earth do you come from.
I think you missed the point of Megans comment.
whats your point? have you ever been forced to take off an article of clothing and have it scanned to prove you didn't steal it?
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Your point being......? Should Old Navy then scan all of the garments worn by every customer who enters their store? I guess, since you have been in retail for 16 years, you also know that actions based profiling are illegal.
I think her point was that racial profiling is stupid because *everyone* steals. That assuming he was more likely to be a thief because he was a young black male was not only racist but flies in the face of what their experience (the manager anyway, no idea how much experience the clerks had) should have told them.
I am white and I am old. I have seen a lot of inappropriate behavior. I support his plan to sue and file. Don't most garments, including coats, have metal bits attached that set off an alarm when one tries to leave the store? Either wait until the child walks through the alarm or check the place on the coat where the metal thing is attached. And if it isn't there and there is no hole making it obvious the metal was torn out, then offer a major apology and a gift card. I've always understood that a person cannot be charged with shoplifting until leaving the store. Is that no longer true? Sorry this happened to you, young man.
As well, he was NOT OBSERVED taking the jacket, as he obviously didn't. That makes it a racially motivated hate crime.
Racial profiling, yes. And they rightfully got fired. Hate crime.....no. That's not it works.
racially motivated? maybe. Hate crime? no. don't conflate this with assholes burning churches of African Americans or douche bags bombing mosques. or anything else that is legitimately a hate crime.
Don't you think thatyou are taking this to the extreme? Racial profiling? YES! Hate crime??? God... you must be cray cray
I don't know the rules in the US, but yeah, in the UK, you need to have seen them take the item, and then not lose sight of them until they leave the shop with it before you can stop them. Notice how they wouldn't even look at him either, so embarrassed to be caught out and filmed being dicks.
AND as a store employee I was ALWAYS told you DO NOT accuse the shopper of shoplifting-- you leave that to SECURITY
This is so obvious the store help was poorly trained and Old Navy should pay something to this young man. The managers should be fired not employees following direct orders.
to answer the question, Jacki, once the item is off property, the store can no longer intervene to prevent loss. Even pursuing the individual into the parking lot is considered crossing from protecting yourself from theft to assaulting the thief. (unless the parking lot is access-controlled.) For a crime to happen there is generally considered to be three things that need to be demonstrated: intent, motive and opportunity. Motive is obvious ('free' stuff) opportunity is equally so- your in the store. Intent, becomes demonstrated when you walk past the cashier, with the item concealed so they don't notice and try to exit. Not that James was guilty of anything.
I bet every one of those employees believe they aren't racist. That's how insidious racism is. They probably aren't even aware that their behavior was racist. We must be willing to examine ourselves and look deeper- and be willing to look at uncomfortable truths.
Julia comment has so much truth to it. Racism goes both ways. My white friends have been accused of being racist, which they aren’t, not even remotely close. One of my girlfriends (blonde blue eyes southern bell) came crying to me after a client accused her of mistreating her for the color of her skin. This client embarrassed her boyfriend when she started ranting in front of other customers because it wasn’t true. No one is amune to racial profiling. I’ll catch myself profiling Muslims yet I haven’t meet one single Muslim I haven’t liked and that fits the description or profile that the news and media try to portray as terrible people. I’m brainwashed to have my guard up but have never had any life experience to give me any reason to. I think we all should try to be more self aware in this matter.
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it's not racism, this is called "experience"
It is racism and something no one should ''experience'' JacekEU your comment would also be considered to be racist.
Racist! Typically., twisting facts to fit his twisted mindset.
They even looked guilty. What a crock of shit. Glad they were fired, hope he gets paid a ton of money.
I di as well, i also hope others learn from this
This type of thing should never happen. It's 2018 for crying out loud. I don't understand why or society continues to hold onto racism. We are the human race. The color of our skin is irrelevant.
It is relevant. We are not the same; we all have our unique culture. I, for one, as a Black person, have no desire to be lumped in with everyone else, thank you. But, we are all deserving of equal respect.
I think most of you misunderstood what I meant by "it's irrelevant " I'm not saying your culture or ethnicity is not important. I am saying no one should be judged by the color of their skin.
Yes, Ms. Kimberly. I am a 54 years old white woman. Judging people because of skin color is wrong. Respect for each other 's differences, open, Frank acknowledgement, (my smartphone isn't too smart ) no one should be afraid to talk honestly about things that matter.
The store may have a very good reason for profiling certain people but that should include consistent written rules preserving respect, just cause and privacy. This Old Navy management will learn what that means in court.
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i smell racism in your comment me as a latino white person who happens to play african drums since a lil cuz its part of the culture in our neighbourhoor (candombe,murga are argentinean music derived from african slaves) its what happens when different cultures mix im happy to see all folks as humans im happy that in my country my black brothers could partially keel their heritage at least more than in the usa you folks dont even play drums (the most essential african instruments are drums) and the african even spread it into other cultures now my country is known for its great music and dances all wich derived of african european and native american influences if folks back then wouldve thought like you there would be no tango no bachata merengue salsa(therefore also no jazz and no funk music like we know it since latinos brought african drums into america often light skinned mixed latinos while the blacks in the usa not even knew the name or how to build these drums but latinos did)
Nothing you said was remotely offensive, if anyone did take offense then that's on them.
Race, culture, identity and the connections we have to them and through them are VERY relevant and they matter but they should never be used to treat someone in a derogatory manner or judge an individual based on preconceived notions about a race of people. I'm proud of who I am.. my skin colour.. my country (welsh) my Celtic heritage but I sure as shit don't want to be judged based on what some other asshole white person may have or has done. There's a whole lot more shady crap in our past than there is in most other races.
I agree with most of what you said. But, there is not one race that does not have a shady past. Some worse than others only because it was documented. There is not one race that does not have millions of deaths on their hands.
lol, "it's the current year" argument. Girl, you won it. Yes, races are not relevant, cultures related to them are. You will grown up, you will understand
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Racism is in our DNA. You will never totally get rid of it but we can all fight it
It is not in our DNA it is how we choose to act towards others. People do stupid shit for stupid reasons like stereotyping.
Ben... Your statement is so untrue
Actually our son was accused of stealing a belt in a store when he was 16 years old. He had on shorts and a tank top, basketball Knicks clothing. When the mall cop made him pull up his top, of course no belt was on him. Then they saw his wallet, which was a gift from me for his birthday, and bought at the same store. They said he had lifted that it. I was called to the store, and they wanted me to sign a confession for him to make it all go away. I had the receipt still at home, so I drove 15 miles to home and back. The manager took his sweet time looking at the receipt, then said, OK, you can go. No apology, nothing. I was furious. Store was Steinbach's, now out of business. GOOD! By the way, we are just average white folks. Stores had better be sure before they accuse people, no matter what the age or color.
the sad truth of this is, if he didnt record this whole thing i bet old navy wouldn't have believed him and this would just be one more injustice in the world.
In the store I worked at (not an Old Navy) we had to see the customer take something from the shelves and then walk out of the store before accusing him of stealing. This is unacceptable. Glad he got their faces and glad they all got fired.
Exactly, there is so much wrong with the whole event here, it is undeniably racist profiling. The systemic level of it concerning. I seriously doubt that the company would have reacted so appropriately if there had been no proof.
If you are as such big company as for example old navy, its hard to control and keep the level of professionalism same around the world. But what i do like is how they reacted afterwards. And as a reply to Hans, why to bother with police, when you can make it viral :)))))
I find your comment absurd it don't matter how big a corporation there is no excuse for not having proper customer ethics
Saying the entire corporation is to blame is like saying you are to blame for something your adult children did.
They do try to screen for ethics. And the corporate response shows they do have ethics. What happens after they are screened and employed is another matter and harder to deal with.
I agree, these employees had to have gone under customer service training to receive the job, these people should have been perfectly trained in the field of different cultures.
this is pathetic really picking on a guy because of his color i thought society was better than this. BUT NO we are just a bunch of racist egotistical maniacs
I don't know why you thought America was better than this. It's exactly like this.
he said society not america
Sadly
Unfortunate. Sad. But undeniably true.
Why press the matter even though Old Navy handled it well? Exposure that this happens so often to those that want to deny it exists and ensure companies are motivated to have zero tolerance for employees that act this way and worse. My nursing supervisor was giving me a ride home after work and we stopped at well know drug store for ice cream. The sweet old white lady who so nicely served me hissed like a rabid raccoon at my boss, who is black, "We don't take food stamps!" I wish I could have recorded the incident because I've got called a liar after telling it. My supervisor took it all with an air of dignified disgust, she was used to it. I believe no one should have to get used to this. Time to make it no longer socially acceptable to do so.
I'm sorry that happened to your boss. Personally, I don't do "dignified disgust". I do, what is your full name? Where is the store manager? I will be calling the corporate offices in the morning and I won't stop complaining until you are fired. That's what I do. Granted, your boss probably has lower blood pressure...but I've got to be me.
Yes I agree with you. If you speak up and go to management and point out to them what happened or nothing will ever change.
It can be subtle too. My friend observed me buying a coke zero & I was polite & conversational & the cashier told me all about her day, but she just clammed up when my friend went to pay. He asked me if that was normal for me & I said I guess so. He told me that no one's ever friendly like that with him.
Ha! I was in the food service business and worked as a delivery driver for Dominos. I was being trained by this younger white guy when we arrived in Parkersburg WV. to deliver to one of the franchised restaurant. This old white dude literally stood in the doorway and told me they had nothing to steal. I laughed because I knew I made at least 5 times what he did. The kid training me wanted to report him but I told him that poor old guy was on his last leg. Kind of shitty to die an old miserable racist piece of shit. I hate to say but at some point you get used to it and learn to just move on. Great composure on the young fella’s part.
When my son was a baby I had to take him to the ER and had the cops called on me while i was waiting in the waiting room. Why? Because my son looked white while I am mixed with black and white. There was no apology they just left after they confirmed that I am in fact his mother. But we did not leave without my mother giving them an ear full, especially since she had to leave work to come and prove that her daughter wasnt kidnapping a baby. They listened to her because she is white but would not take my word for it, they thought I was lying and all the documents I had were fake.
I am so sad this has happened to you, it is such an abomination, it must have been a great trauma for your baby, you and all of your family.
I'd pursue the lawsuit! This has to stop! When you have to prove that the jacket you wore into the store is bought and paid for, that becomes an infringement on your rights. What Old Navy was basically saying is: there's no way you can afford that jacket. Prove it's yours. I find it disgusting . Kudos to you James Conley III for standing up for yourself and keeping your cool and not getting angry...which most of us would probably have done.
actually, if that lawsuit goes to trial, James will probably loose. So far as I can tell, they did nothing to infringe on rights or civil liberties. They were stupid, yes. offensive, certainly. Further, it's been made clear this is not the policy of Gap Incorporated, by the fact that these moronic individuals are now terminated. On the other hand, James has an excellent opportunity to get an out-of-court settlement, which probably comes with a non-disclosure agreement keeping him from talking about it.
Some years ago,we had a shop.Several other retailers warned us about high school kids and the need watch them constantly as they would steal,the second you turned your back....In all the time we were open,I never had a problem with high school kids stealing anything.....However, when it came to white middle aged "Soccer Mums", Wealthy older women (one aided by her middle aged son) & cashed up middle aged hipsters....We lost $$$$ worth of stuff...The only time we were ever robbed,it was by a "nice" family ! (Dad,Mum & teen daughter,2 to distract ,1 to empty the till).My husband realized what had happened & told them to hand back the cash and leave,which they did! The young man in the video absolutely did the right things ,remaining calm & in control & continuing to film ,kudos to the company for taking swift action and firing the offenders too.
I have gone into Old Navy here in Pennsylvania and wore my Old Navy close that I purchased a visit before, I have never been asked to have my clothing checked. For the store manager to act the way he did was very unprofessional and then you have the district manager that checked the video footage to she if this young man came into the store with the jacket on, she should have came out and say she was sorry (very unprofessional).
Since I worked in a retail store I can speak for both sides.If there had been any suspension that a store customer might try to shoplift items a store with a could security team would have caught it long before he would try to pay for it. Secondly most shoplifters do not wear the items they are trying to steal on them as they are checking out. This is not very common. This is a good example of poor training and a lack of customer service from the employees of Old Navy. You never project an unfriendly atmosphere and assume the customer is telling you the truth.
Oh, but they do try to steal things they wear. Going into the dressing room to ''try'' on clothing and then walking out the door with it on under a jacket, leaving the tags in the dressing room.
..and after all that humiliation, (if I was in his shoes) I would also feel lucky. In case the manager called the police , for him videotaping, I bet ANYTHING the cops would shoot/taser first the black guy, then ask questions.
Isn't this stereotyping as well?
Coming out with that sentence instantly drops you to the same low as the accusers in this story. Stereotyping is Stereotyping, is Stereotyping, no mattander what race, colour, beliefs, preconvinced notions, age, demeanour. It is never acceptable no matter who you think you are.
No really it does not, the police are not a race, religion, gender or a sexual orientation they're a government department that have a history of discriminating against black people, pretending that the problem does not exist it not going to make the problem go away, the only way to solve it is to call out the officers that are racist and support the ones that are not, stupidly trying to suggest that people(black or otherwise) are discriminating against the police for address a problem is putting you on the same level of cops that killed a man for selling cigarettes.
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Your view of cops is unfortunate. Try thinking for yourself sometime.
Unfortunately that's the America you live in.
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Yeh sounds right kill first question never. So sad that the pinky whites still can't come to terms that if there are people of African origins is the fault of their forefathers. Also the usa was the land of
Oh what a lovely racist reply. You're no better than the racist employees in the story
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was the land of the Indians not the pinky whites!
Old Navy is going to have to change their name to Old Confederacy
Agreed.
The reasoning behind filing the civil action is to create a precedent. Even if there is no monetary value to it. It is important that our standard court procedures continue, as this is the only way to ensure a healthy evolution of our justice system.
I think he should go through with the suit. That way, it gets put in the system and they can track how many times it happens.
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Or it becomes a constant reminder how many times black people see a possibility to abuse their skin color to cash in some extra money by filing lawsuits even after the store fired the offenders and apologized.
Disgusting! In this day and age?
Sue the b................tards!
Great to see that they were fired for this.
It was plain wrong in the first place to assume the customer was stealing when they had NO prior evidence to give them any suspicions. Big mistake.
good luck with the suit james. i am so sorry you were treated so badly. i am english and i know racism goes on here too but i have only come across it once. i am ashamed to say i slapped the racist so hard he fell over, the mad he was insulting gave me a hug , said thanks, and said, that was almost worth putting up with racism for, then i got a kiss on my cheek. there is no excuse for it, none. in
people has to be involved! I remember when i was little, walking with my mother, then we saw a group of policemen controlling the ID and almost bullying a black kid, then my mum tells the policemen "do you want to see my ID too?". The cops were really embarrased then let the poor kid go. Little things can change a lot of things.
Go, Sandra! Look at you, going all Wonder Woman on racists! You're a warrior queen!
That's ridiculous! To accuse him with obviously NO basis in fact!
It's racism, and the fact that they agreed they should have apologised on humanitarian ground dammit! Such a shame! My apologies to the great gentleman who took it in good spirit.
woow! good job Old Navy. prompt firings
Old Navy will never know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars this one incident cost them.
Wow...I'm so glad those employees got canned. So glad you got this on camera, and seriously, what BS that you aren't allowed to video tape. Good for you!!
that has NEVER happened to me and I'm latino. If a store EVER did that to me I would totally cause a scene lol. I can't believe that happened to him. I mean we all buy or get clothes and don't go into stores naked lol.
and now I see the beginning of a new campaign to protest old navy.
He at least deserved an apology
I think if I were that young man, I would go back to that store to make sure they weren't just "blowing smoke", and that those particular employees were, indeed, fired...
Got em fired, why pursue further legal action?
Corporations only understand financial losses. Also, winning a suit will be a legal record of the company's racial profiling. So, the next time this happens -- and there will be a next time -- there will be a paper trail of this sort of behavior from Old Navy (Gap).
I was going to agree with Randin, but Kimberly has a very valid point. Also, I'd go back to the store once or twice in the coming weeks, just to see if the racists had actually been fired and it wasn't just talk.
Because profiling due to race, is a form of discrimination which is against US laws. He is well within his rights to file a claim, and defend his rights after the actions of the store's employees. It's good that he has documentation. That the company released those involved in the incident,citing violation of their own policies and values, will only further prove his rights were violated. Sometimes this is what it takes, to make a big enough impact for people, to recognize this is not acceptable behavior in any workplace. No matter their personal beliefs.
Proper training, awareness, positive change will never happen unless there is a penalty to affect change in the corporate world. Remember when Ford put substandard fuel filler tubes in their Pintos? They figured that it would save them a lot more money than a few lawsuits for wrongful death would cost. Of course, they didn't count on people buying competitors products once the truth came out.
your right about that. i worked for ford for many years. things changed with them when old management retired and the young/& new replaced them. it was the beginning of the end. everything went to hell after that.
Because for the corporation, firing idiots is not a loose. Having to pay a lawsuit is and I reckon it will serve them well to instruct their next employees about racism better. ;)
Why Not???? Perhaps this will give Old Navy/The Gap motivation to provide mandated EEO/Diversity training to all of their staff...especially people in supervisory positions. Mandated ongoing training is probably cheaper than a bunch of civil lawsuits.
Because when you affect a company's bottom line, it sends a message - not only to the company in question but it has a ripple affect that shivers its way through all of the big brand stores. They become zealous about making sure they're not sued for things like this. If every person who was racially profile recorded it and filed a suit for it and the majority of the cases were found in favour of the plaintive, you can bet your ass they'll ALL be clamouring over themselves to make sure this never happens again. He needs to file.. and so does everyone who experiences this kind of abuse.
he should pursue legal action, this was an absolute slur on this young mans good name, your good name is beyond price, and they deliberately racially profiled him, and totally embarrassed him in a public setting, they obviously thought they could get away with it, which mean their corporate masters don't make it clear enough how unacceptable it was.
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Money
Old Navy doesn't just profile by color. They also discriminate against overweight people too. I was shopping for my son and husband, but because I was overweight, the manager told me I wouldn't find anything in my size. Even pointed out that the clothes I had picked out, wouldn't fit me! I responded to her that I was buying them for my family. Since she and other employees were so ugly to me, I left without purchasing anything and to this day some 20 years later, I've never set foot in an Old Navy again. Never will.
They still need to be responsible for their employee's actions. I think This man should be compensated and their employee's educated
Well, in that case, once you buy a clothing from Old Navy, DO NOT RETURN to the shop. They might accuse you of stealing the clothing you bought and wore! This is so crazy!! And unacceptable.
https://inhabitat.com/ecouterre/children-as-young-as-12-are-making-clothing-for-old-navy-in-bangladesh/ They not only encourage child labor and sweat shops but are also racist. More reasons not to go to a old navy store.
I will never buy from old navy it's a terrible way to treat anyone
Good === i hope he takes to the cleaners-- how dare they do that.
Jame was certainly right to video everything. Every person of color who experiences this kind of situation should record it from start to finish. Almost everyone has phones capable of this. IF it happens often enough, maybe a few thick-headed racists will begin to get the message.
the regional manager never comes back to apologize? thats insane. they totally deserve to be sued. also , old navy would have a lot more credibility if it posted a customer bill of rights kind of thing and the company mission statement publicly
Well done Mr. Conley for your presence of mind and your refusal to be bullied.
Sue
Besides being racist, the managers are complete POS's for not at least apologizing for their horrible behavior.
You carry on and sue - disgusting behaviour. When they realised they were wrong they should have apologized.
When they realised they were wrong they should have come and apoligised to you. I dont blame you for sueing them.
Sad in this day and age, we stillhave people who threat others with such disrespect.
Hope the manager lost his job didn't even make eye contact when he was leaving or apologies for inconvenience, so rude!
That's my nightmare. I feel like this is gonna happen every time I walk into Primark in UK because mostly almost all that I am wearing is from Primark and I shop there often so I have their current things on :D Luckily they are probably used to this. It's good that he recorded it and that it ended up like this. I felt a bit weird about him causing three people to lose their jobs but then again they were complete assholes and wouldn't even appologize. Hopefully they went away realizing that they absolutely can't behave like this.
The manager should have first never treated a customer this way . Second should have apologized to this customer . 100% fail .
At last the company management did the right thing firing the three racist employees. But I hope that James will sue them anyway!
You should have just walked out with the jacket on. If they tried to detain you at that point you would have a valid basis for a lawsuit as they obviously had no valid reason to think that you did not own the jacket.
yeah he should sue their ass its not right just to racially judge him
I've never been one for frivolous lawsuits, but g..d..it! I hope this guy takes Old Navy to the cleaners!
Good on you, James! That was completely priceless!
The look on that young man's face is heart breaking. He's trying hard to be unaffected by what happened to him, but it is easy to see that he was deeply hurt by the experience. Many, many people will never know that feeling.
Old Navy is trying to do damage control but sadly doing damage control means you harmed someone. so the young gentleman should sure them and spread the word about this as far and wide as he can.
The treatment this gentleman received was outrageous!! He was owed an apology twice!!! SHAME ON OLD NAVY!!
Whelp wont be shopping at old navy anymore
I had that happen once with a ball cap I was wearing once at Spencer’s I had to show them the inside where It was clearly worn and they actually did apologize. I was embarrassed of being accused of shoplifting but then they had the decency of trying to make up for being wrong. Those people at Old Navy couldn’t have been more wrong in the way the store employees handled it.
I think Old Navy responded swiftly and justly. As for filing a damages suit - the only damages incurred are from his posting this on Facebook for the world to see. I think a formal complaint so it is on record is just but as I said, the corporation moved quickly and did the right thing. Perhaps they should do an additional training with employees about this.
Hey, I encountered a racist experience in Canada. Can you believe it? In Canada?!! I worked at a local tool store as a cashier. I had accidentally misplaced some cash and it had slid into the cashier desk. By the time I had to cash out, my supervisor had asked me to empty out my pockets!! I was shocked, and she even stormed out the office and accused me of stealing in front of several employees. The next day I had heard the HR lady and my supervisor laughing about it in the office!! So glad i was able to find a new and better job. One that isn't customer service related.
I'm with James
Needs to be a hashtag
#ISTANDWITHJAMES
No, I think he did steal his own jacket. If he were white then the employees were wrong! Just kidding, but my real observation is why did he buy the cap anyway ? I would have told them to eat it and walk out after getting everyone's names. He did a good job documenting everything. Hope you win, you are doing the right thing.
It's just ol'e John again. I didn't read the whole story close enough. They were checking the cap too. He was checking hoodies not hats, I hope everything works out well for all of the parties involved.
Sigh.. it's not always a BLACK thing. I'm white, and got followed to the back of a store by a wrinkled hag who went to ostensibly straighten up some merchandise- but I know what she was doing. It's insulting. Ive noticed this kind of stuff a lot more lately, and not just toward me, but to others as well. Either a lot more people are shoplifting, or shops don't care if they insult the customer.
This happens to just about everyone some time in their life. Being black has nothing to do with it, but turning it into a lawsuit and being butt-hurt over it happening in the first place is definitely a black thing... When it happens to to others, they typically just accept the apology from management and find that the employee who screwed up no longer works there the next time they return. On another note: If you really want to bring attention to yourself and claim profiling, acting shady will grab the attention of store security and have them watching you. Have fun, and happy litigation.
The State of Iowa voted for Trump. Ugh.
Do I think this young man was done wrong? I certainly do. Did the higher ups retaliate on his behalf? They sure did. Should he file the suit? He should most definitely. Will it do him any good? That will depend on the judge. The company is responsible for any infraction wrought by anyone under their employment and simply letting these individuals go and apologizing would be a matter of whether they did it because they feel they were wrong or because they were caught.
The best outcome is that the employees be sued for their violation of his civil rights. Old Navy may have deeper pockets but the employees were all pleased with themselves for breaking the law or they would have been more careful to avoid breaking the law and then, they failed to apologize. Looks very cut and dry. Hope they personally pay and pay dearly, publicly and loudly.
This situation is just wrong but Racial profiling is not exclusive to any race. I am White, and I get my bags/receipt checked upon leaving Walmart every time I try to exit, even though my husband works there.
I have shopped at Walmarts in different states and never had my purchases checked.
I often shop at stores I bought stuff in and not once have I ever been asked to remove it and have it scanned to ensure I had paid for it. If they make a genuine mistake, like a bag I am holding that is their brand, I just say "I bought this the other day" and it's all over apologies.But often I get constantly asked if I need help to the point where I say, "For the final time NO!" It makes shopping so unpleasant. Ask me once if I need help, but asking me 7 times in as many minutes just makes me leave. Priceline in Australia is notorious for it. Their male staff seriously ask me if I want help when I am looking at sanitary supplies? It is just annoying and confronting. Like what do they expect? "Yes can you tell me what size tampons I should buy?" Thing is constantly asking you if you want help is legal. I doubt these staff would have asked to scan the same jacket of a seemingly affluent white man. I am sure Old Navy will settle this one out of court. How could you fight it?
yeah, because of stereotypes 50% of prison population is black. Because stereotypes most of homicides and violence is related to black race. Sure, just not talk about it, and all the problems will disappear. Because it's $the_current_year!
It is wrong that he's filing a suit. He got what he wanted and even had the owners terminated/file a post about it. I understand his frustrations, but isn't this a bit overboard? Racism is not ok. However, these were some ignorant people; not the whole darn company.
Not wrong at all. Its no accident that three people in one shop acted this way. A suit will make Old Navy think long and hard about their employee training and maybe be more careful about who they hire.
Crows steal. If they steal and get caught, it's the white patriarchy leaving them no other option. If they are checked, and prevented from stealing, it's the white patriarchy oppressing them. Fuck off, crows.
I have to wonder what would have happened had he only approached corporate with the videos and not posted them publicly.
WTF did they hope to accomplish by scanning his jacket? It's not like it has a serial number on it to prove that it was purchased. Okay - he's wearing your product. He's BUYING your product. Has Loss Prevention flagged him as behaving suspiciously? No? Then WHY THE FLIP are you publicly humiliating him by doing a pointless exercise?! Run the tape back, then be ready to get on your hands and knees to apologize to a customer you'll probably never get back...
i'm white and I've had this happen at a Gap store as well as an REI. So I'm not really that surprised.
Conley obviously won this one. He got three people fired and he got an apology. There is no reason other than greed for a lawsuit.
WOW; 2018, another great year for African Americans. As a Black British person I really can't understand why so many Black people want to emigrate to America. Racism seems to be getting worse under Trump and there's no universal healthcare. And we moan about Brexit. the people of the UK don't know how good we've got it!
Old Navy should offer a sizable gift card--say, $1000.
This happened to me and I am white but that is not my point, train you staff properly! If you live near a mail and shop there at some point you will come back to that store wearing the clothes you bought in that mall. When this innocent man walks into the store and automatically told he stole the coat is totally outradious. They would not listen to him and continued to try and prove their point. I think these fools should be fired. I am very glad this was saved to video and will be passed around to thousands of people to see. We all have stories about very bad behavior by staff in stores. I think after seeing how you treated this nice man and how you handed it I will personally never shop in a Old Navy again.
I went to a shop in New York once and the saleswoman followed me around so closely (every step I took) that when I stopped walking she stumbled right into my back. Then she continued to follow me as if we were tethered until I left the store. It is an odd and disheartening thing to be considered a thief just because you exist.
How is this racial??? Never once in anything I saw, did the color of his skin or his race come up. Yes, I agree, this should not have happened. But you can't call racist on every single thing that happens in life.
No one should be that stupid to think they treated this guy this way because of any reason other than he was black. Like he said, they didn't treat white people the same way. Too bad you're not smart enough to know racism when it exists or are you simply pretending to be that stupid?
Believe it or not, they do this to old white women too. It happened to my mom’s friend. She was so angry, she never shopped there again! Now that I’m older, I’m waiting for it to happen to me! And it won’t be pretty...
Old Navy is dead to me😑
SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY they all their trump-a**-kissing selves were fired. This is the reality the current President has made!
racism was in power long b4 trump came to power. I think you should retract this idiotic statement.
Sue them bro
thats just disgusting
Rude. Keep up with the civil law suit!
Sue them,that was unprofessional
yes sue old navy, i love gap clothing because is decent quality compare to ether "brand " clothing that sell overprice crap but racial profiling is just bad.
Can someone tell me which SHIT HOLE country this is happening in ??
trollbait here - get your trollbait - back under the bridge wence you came...
I hope you hired a good lawyer! ! Old Navy took action because they know what a good lawsuit you have . Good luck !
That is unacceptable, James. Sue them
Back in 1979 I had just bought new Ethan Allen furniture and was looking for place mats when a coworker said try the new Dillard's store in Greens point! On my day off I went and dressed as usual for Houston Texas blue jeans very expensive cowboy boots and a western shirt. I am a female and at the time was 34 years old! I usually shopped at Foley's so that was my first stop! Nothing there so on to Dillard's. I was not in the store long when I noticed a big man with a crew cut following me! I was in the fine China department when a snooty older woman came over and said can I help you!! I knew then what was up this was a Yankee store/just moved to Houston!! I my best tx. Accent I said well bless your heart I do need help I'm looking for something for my new table and I just can't find what it want everything looks soooo cheap I guess I'll go down town to Kaplan Ben Hur where I bought my China!! Then I left! I found out later they had brought clerks from other stores to help!
The largest percentage of clothing theft from a store is from management, not customers. I also hope Old Navy gave James Conley a huge gift certificate--and like, ten of those coats in every colour of the rainbow.
From management? Really? I didn't know that. Well, you learn something new every day!
I hear a lot of misguided people state that "prejudice" is over. HA! Watch this story and say that again with a straight face.
Racism and prejudice is obviously not over but this video is not proof of that. I see absolutely no proof of this being racially motivated.
I think he has a valid case
what is the bet it IS store policy and these 3 employees were thrown under the bus....otherwise,why would there be no follow-up?...it all seems very begrudging...he's probably got a point...I'm sure he'll get a shitload of vouchers.
Were they really fired?
you should have refused to remove the jacket for them to check it and then taken the clothes you were going to buy and tossed them back into the store and let them go find them to put them away.
Good thing they fired the asshats
So the company sacked the employees and rightly so. However James is going to file a civil rights lawsuit. Seems unfair on the company that they have acted swiftly and with integrity, yet are still to be pursued for what I assume is financial compensation.
I was followed out of a drugstore one time and made to empty my purse on the sidewalk - the clerk insisted I had stolen a bottle of nail polish (nope) because I had been looking at them for too long. I was 16, its what girls do.
... which century is it again?..
Disgusted.....I'm white and I friggin hate white people sometimes.....makes me sick....and did they actually get fired??? I'd be going back to check the store regularly! They probably got moved to another area, idiots!
THEY SAY THEY WERE FIRED BUT WHO KNOWS.
Spot on, the company might just transfer them somewhere else and none the wiser !
I can't believe that the sale clerk, AND the manager, were too ignorant to even apologize!
Well with the indecent salaries paid in the states what do you hope to get as employees.
are you kidding me right now? You're somehow using the idea that they make low wages as a justification for racism? That's incredible. How much do they make anyway? What's their package as key carriers?
their clothes suck anyway. fuck that store.
Fucking pieces of shit
Who?
They got fired so I would just let it go a personal apology is enough. Cashing in on stuff like this doesn’t solve the problem you become the problem
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Yes when you hit the money question that's were it hurts. Some lame apology is not enough.
Did they actually apologise directly to him or just make a public presentation for a public statement?? Absolutely unacceptable!! Shame , shame!! Will not be shopping Old Navy anymore!!
Given that it's on the interwebtubes at the moment suggests that a lot of people are already being made aware.
And retailers wonder why Amazon is taking their business. It's not just price, it's having to put up with their employees.
Sickening...
I like the way he kept positive,been in many arguments with stores and rude staff,never recorded though-I may just do that now though !!!
I think it was unacceptable however the company DID apologize for the actions of the employees and fired them. None the less, I also believe that reparations should have been made for the humiliating treatment by the employees, who were - at the time - representatives of the company, with at the very LEAST, merchandise credit for the treatment. Suing the company for civil rights violation seems overkill since the company DID follow through and made a public apology and terminated the offending employees. None the less, as a corporation, you are responsible for the behavior of your hired workers so should definitely make some reparations. Even if the man was not black, I have personally seen store clerks question customers because they thought they looked suspicious or didn't meet their criteria of "upstanding", when they had done nothing wrong. Whether the customer was black, white, Asian, dressed well or dressed poorly - their behavior was unacceptable.
that is pathetic on old navy
Dear James, I am very sorry that this happened to you. And I totally understand why you wat a measure of Old Navy’s skin in return. Dear Old Navy, I am somewhat gratified that you investigated and terminated the employees involved. How about instituting some sort of racial awareness education, a la Starbucks so this doesn’t happen again? Signed to both, Your “former” white customer
Take them for everything they're worth.
A sincere apology from the main office and a serious talk (and maybe termination of employment) with the employees of the store should suffice. Shit happens. Nobody got killed. Move on.
At this point he's just going for a money grab. He's already got three people fired which is perfectly reasonable but now he's going too far and acting like a big baby.
When they realized they made a mistake, they seriously should have been bending over backwards to make it up to him. A gift certificate could have possibly smoothed things over.
Old Navy are just covering their backs, when the real problem is INSTITUTIONAL RACISM FROM THE TOP.
Just another one looking for publicity and money. FFS, the employees were sacked!!! So now it is just about money and fame. Typical of our “Where there is blame, there is a claim” Makes me so mad.
See if you have enough of a case to SUE THEM INTO BANKRUPTCY!!!! I am a 43 year old white guy from the DEEP south that grew up hearing blacks called N----er and even I say SUE them!! Make them pay for it!!! He did a great job and remained cool the whole time!!
Revenge has been accomplished. The people involved were fired. The company owned up and spoke out to make the public aware and accept responsibility. What else will bw accomplished by a civil suit?
I don't think it was because you are black bro...it was because they are fucking dumb... ;) Peace out brother ;) and screw the fuckers :D ...it was redicilious :D one time in one store they wanned me to pay for me bottle of water which i was bringing with me from another place...and allthough they don't sell the same brand of water...they still wanted me to pay...so i said OK ...tell me how much it is, mark it , come on? And when they couldn't they said it was ok...i didn't even get an apology but it's OK :D
they fired all 3, which is perfect. Going to court ? Thats to fill your pockets, the american dream
Why does everyone automatically assume he was pulled aside for his colour? Are we just all shouting 'racist' now every time something happens to a black person?
fired or reassigned? This is so horrible. I hope he gets millions. #nomoreoldnavy
The
oops. As I was trying to say, The company apologized and remedied the situation by firing those involved. No lawsuit warranted or appropriate.
i feel bad that it happened. once i was followed around a store, peeking at me down the isle, etc. i felt like they were thinking i was a thief. I felt bad too. I am a older white woman.
"Finally the District Manager [...] came out and I made her check the surveillance tape to prove that HER and her fellow employees were in the wrong for racially profiling me ..." How the hell can the District Manager be responsible of racially profiling him if she wasn't even there in the first place? If you want to throw accusations all around the place, try to actually be coherent. *smh*
He should sue, they should have personally contacted him and given him some sort of compensation
I hope he can get some compensation, I like the idea that you can sue them.
They were 'terminated'! Goodness.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1309402759204501&id=367271796750940
Disgusting, he needs to take it all the way, that was terrible, I'm gobsmacked, I can't believe it. That company should pay pay pay for that.
Good on you. Glad the morons got fired. I would’ve called the police myself there and then. How stupid were these people 😡
Well James, you did a great job getting every thing recorded.....and you didn't even raise your voice. See them in court....hope your win large!
hope james didn't buy the clothes he came in the store to buy.
hope james didn't buy the other clothes he came to buy.
This is wrong in so many ways that I can't even count them all. I guess from now on, I'll put chap stick, gum, keys, etc. in my pockets so they can tell it's mine. I feel so bad for this young man and hope he sticks to 'em!
This man was guilty until proven innocent, if I'm correct that is the opposite of America's modo. Times are changing and so is the world. Sadly I feel like I can't trust the government of America anymore.
I hope they learned something from this experience. Disgusting.
Disgusting, so sad. I feel so bad that these type of things continue to happen, How would you feel to be treated in this way, the fact that he remained cool calm and collected was great. But then again if he behaved differently it would have played into their hands. I’d would of lost it, thank gooodness for cameras, Good they were fired.
I'm followed instantly when out shopping it bit here's me so much. He did the right thing catching all of their rubbish actions on film. Over the moon they all have the sack!
That's some BS! He deserves every dollar he gets! Yes, it's the fault of the terminated employees, but he was publicly humiliated and deserves compensation!
i'm white and had this happen before, not old navy, but still. i once was grabbed by in store undercover, taken in a back room, made to take my shoes off and drop my pants which the undercover was a woman to prove i didn't have anything stolen hidden and when nothing just told to leave and never come back??? shit happens to everybody!
Good luck James. I hope you get compensated for the injustice they put you through. And bravo for being such a classy guy, keeping your cool and not stooping to their level. If you get any negative comments here, ignore them. They deserve not one second of your time.
Very shameful hope you make headlines
I am sooooooo proud of you James Conley III....You definitely displayed great tact and character in an obviously racist situation. I am a mother of three young black men...(25, 22, & 14) And this angered me greatly! It was like watching one of them being purposely racially profiled as you stated. However, because of the way YOU handled it as a gentleman, staying calm and recording this unacceptable customer service, it forced the company to react quickly and firmly! Everyone deserves fair treatment regardless of race...I’ve taught this to my boys from young because of WHO they are and the professions they have chosen. Kudos! to you young man...You made your own family and those around the world smile 😃🙌🏼👊🏼😉 Peace & Blessings!
I have a hard time jumping to the conclusion they did that because of his race. But there is no doubt in my mind he was profiled for some reason and they ganged up on him because he was so calm and collected. There’s absolutely no way I would have been so chill and let them take my coat without the cops being called first. It would have made me fell violated in so many ways. I’m glad he’s not letting it go and hopes he gets compensated for being humiliated and treated so disrespectfully especially after they realize they were in the wrong. Just don’t know what’s wrong with people anymore. Makes me so sad for him.
Tweeted with this comment: @iammoshow WTF??? James´s been accused of stealing his own jacket??? #BlackLivesMatter , if he was white this surely wouldn´t have happened, I guess!!! 🤬🤬🤬And yes, where did they wanna scan the jacket at all without cash code??? THIS IS FU**ING SICK!!!
I would never have taken my coat off for them to "prove" It was up to them to prove it was theirs. I would have insisted that they call the police if they believe i stole it but never would i have taken it off.. Smug rat bastards.
It says 3 employees were fired, but there were 3 in the video & one in the background so it makes me wonder which of them got fired because thw district manager definitely should've been on that list.
The company ultimately did right by Mr. Conley but now that he is suing, this kinda cheapens the whole thing.
They took the appropriate steps and terminated the 3 employees. To follow up with a lawsuit against the store is inappropriate and morally wrong.
So why don'