AP PHOTO/CRAIG RUTTLE
SHOPPING
WHILE BLACK
behalf, producing a five-page report
declaring the store did not engage
in racial profiling. According to the
document, no written or unwritten
policy to target customers based
on race was found and Barneys did
not “request, require nor initiate
the actions of the New York Police Department.” While the report
cited written materials, policies and
interviews conducted with store
employees, no police officers were
interviewed. The NYPD refuted
HUFFINGTON
12.08.13
Yaki’s findings. John McCarthy, the
police department’s chief spokesman, said “in both instances, NYPD
officers were conducting unrelated
investigations and took action after
conferring with Barneys employees
while in their security room.”
But the situation at Barneys isn’t
unique, nor is it limited to upscale
department stores. In the past decade, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Dillards and Kohl’s have each been
sued for alleged racial profiling. In
2000, thousands protested against
Lord & Taylor after its security
guards were accused of strangling a
Rev. Al
Sharpton,
standing
with Barneys
New York
CEO Mark
Lee (left),
addresses
the media at
the National
Action
Headquarters
in New York,
after they
and other
community
leaders
discussed
allegations of
racial profiling
in October
2013.