Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Macy's security has arrest quota, 'race code system' for nonwhite shoppers: lawsuit
Via the Daily News:
Macy's security guards worked on a quota system of five “arrests” per week — and nonwhite shoppers were identified by an internal “race code system,” according to a lawsuit.
African-American men were referred to as “10-90s” and black women as “10-91s” among store security personnel, a Turkish immigrant charged in court papers after her 2010 arrest. The demeaning code was created by Macy’s “to facilitate its targeting of Middle Eastern, African-American/black and other nonwhite shoppers,” the suit charged.
Plaintiff Ayla Gursoy, who is Muslim, said she was detained and arrested while shopping in the Herald Square store on Sept. 18, 2010. Charges were later dismissed.
In a partial deposition provided by her attorney, store detective Brenda Howard acknowledged five “arrests” per week was the target for security workers, according to the suit. Howard couldn’t be reached Tuesday. The attorney did not provide the full deposition.
A Macy’s spokesman said company policy was not to comment on pending litigation.
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/civil_rights/2013/10/macys-security-has-arrest-quota-race-code-system-for-nonwhite-shoppers-lawsuit.html