Barneys has agreed to pay $525,000 to settle the multiple racial profiling allegations brought against the luxury department store by both patrons and former employees.
The New York Daily News first reported the settlement, which came after State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman investigated claims of a “pattern of racial profiling” that started in 2013 after Barneys tried to counter a rise in shoplifting and credit card fraud.
Reports the NYDN:
In a 27-page settlement document signed by both parties Friday, Schneiderman released a series of findings from a nine-month review based on interviews with nearly a dozen complainants in the so-called shop-and-frisk case, including shoppers and former employees.
They alleged that black and Hispanic customers were unfairly targeted when they entered the pricey store at 660 Madison Ave.
The store’s own data showed that from October 2012 through October 2013, black and Hispanic shoppers were detained “at rates far greater than their percentage of the store’s customer base.”
As part of the settlement, Barneys agreed to hire an “anti-profiling consultant” for at least two years while the $525,000 will cover fines and legal fees.
The report even noted that despite sales associates telling the in-store detective that a patron might have been a frequent customer, but they were nevertheless still followed in the store.
Trayon Christian, 19, and Kayla Phillips, 21, were both wrongly accused credit card fraud last year and have lawsuits pending against the retailer.
On a related noted, Russell Westbrook and Jordan Brand recently unveiled a collaboration with Barneys.
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Photo: AP
