Raymond and Nekeeya Brewster, an African American couple from Jacksonville, Florida, filed a lawsuit against Walmart after being falsely accused of stealing children’s clothing at one of its stores. The couple claims they were profiled, discriminated against, wrongfully imprisoned, and humiliated during the incident.
According to the lawsuit, the Brewsters went to Walmart’s River City Marketplace to exchange clothes they had bought for their daughter. After realizing the clothes didn’t fit, they returned to the store the next day to make the exchange, but Nekeeya was unsure of the process.
“She decided the smart thing to do was to put the clothes and the receipt for the clothes in the original Walmart bag, and then tie that bag shut,” the lawsuit said, according to News 4 Jax.
While in the store, Nekeeya placed the bag with the items and receipt into a shopping cart and proceeded to the children’s department to select the correct sizes.
The couple, who was with their 3 daughters at that time, went to customer service to exchange the items. That was when Nekeeya was confronted by Walmart staff, who accused her of putting stolen pants in her bag.
Nekeeya denied the accusation and showed the receipt, but the employee ignored it and called in Walmart’s loss prevention team.
Despite showing the receipt and explaining the situation, the Brewsters were detained in a small room while the police were called. The couple and their children were then taken to a small room, where Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers were called.
“We get into this room,” Raymond said. “They close the door. The room is probably like a 10 by 10, like it’s really small. So, you know, it’s like me, my three daughters, my wife, two loss prevention guys and two officers.”
The officers who arrived questioned the employees but determined there was no evidence of theft as they could not provide footage supporting their claims After over an hour, the Brewsters were released without charges.
“I go there all the time, shop there all the time, and what happened to us was unimaginable,” Raymond said. “I never expected that to happen.”
The Brewsters are suing Walmart over the incident, also citing that Walmart’s actions are part of a pattern of profiling Black customers. They are seeking damages and a jury trial, as well as a class-action lawsuit for Black customers who have been discriminated against in similar situations.
Meanwhile, Walmart has recently faced criticism from the Black community over its rollback of DEI initiatives. The company’s decision to stop conducting racial equity training for employees has raised concerns that it may lead to more incidents like this.
SOURCE: blacknews.com
