NYC Shops Adopt ‘Customer Bill of Rights’ After Pressure from Sharpton Over Racial Profiling

After pressure from Reverend Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders, a number of New York City stores are adopting a “Customers’ Bill of Rights,” in response to a case of alleged racial profiling.

The one-page document was drafted by the Retail Council of New York State, and announces that “profiling is an unacceptable practice and will not be tolerated,” and that the stores are “committed to ensuring that all shoppers, guests and employees are treated with respect and dignity and are free from unreasonable searches, profiling and discrimination of any kind.” It will also display phone numbers for New York City Commission on Human Rights, as well as contact information for individual store managers.

New York Post lists Barneys, Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and the Gap as some of the stores adopting the new policies.

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The scandal began in October, when it was revealed that 19-year-old Travis Christian was arrested outside of Barneys in April by undercover officers who claimed he couldn’t possibly have afforded the $350 belt he’d just purchased. Christian is suing Barneys for discrimination. The incident received even more publicity when it seemed to briefly imperil Jay-Z’s deal with the high-end clothing company.

Sharpton quickly threatened a boycott, and Barneys just as quickly hired an anti-discrimination expert to meet with him.

[h/t NYP]

[Image via screengrab]

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