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SMU COMM3310. OCTOBER 31, 2013. THE ISSUE. Barneys, NYPD under fire for alleged racial profiling Student Trayon Christian, 19, said the store and police targeted him in April of this year because they didn't think he could afford a $350 Ferragamo belt.
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SMU COMM3310 • OCTOBER 31, 2013
THE ISSUE Barneys, NYPD under fire for alleged racial profiling Student Trayon Christian, 19, said the store and police targeted him in April of this year because they didn't think he could afford a $350 Ferragamo belt. After buying the belt using his Chase debit card, Christian's attorney Michael Palillo said Christian was stopped less than a block from the store by undercover NYPD detectives.
BARNEY’S INITIAL STATEMENT Barneys New York typically does not comment on pending litigation. In this instance, we feel compelled to note that after carefully reviewing the incident of last April, it is clear that no employee of Barneys New York was involved in the pursuit of any action with the individual other than the sale. Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights. We are very sorry that any customer of our store would have this experience.
BARNEY’S FACEBOOK Barneys New York believes that no customer should have the unacceptable experience described in recent media reports, and we offer our sincere regret and deepest apologies.Further to our statement of yesterday, we want to reinforce that Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination. We are a strong proponent of equal rights and equal treatment for all human beings. Our mission is to ensure that all customers receive the highest-quality service—without exception.To this end, we are conducting a thorough review of our practices and procedures as they relate to these matters to ensure that they reflect our continued commitment to fairness and equality. To lead this review, we have retained a civil rights expert, Michael Yaki, who also serves on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The Commission has been the nation’s watchdog for civil rights for more than 50 years. Mr. Yaki will be provided with unrestricted access to all aspects of our store operations.In addition, Barneys New York has reached out to community leaders to begin a dialogue on this important issue.Sincerely,Mark LeeCEO of Barneys New York
HUFFINGTON POST Barneys' Racial Profiling Problem Stretches Back At Least 20 Years
REGULATORY SCRUTINY The New York state attorney general is investigating Macy's Inc and Barneys New York Inc after complaints from black customers who were stopped by police after making luxury purchases, a spokesman said Tuesday morning.
CONSEQUENCES In 2005, Macy's paid $600,000 to settle similar allegations that many of the chain's New York stores had targeted blacks and Latinos for particular scrutiny of theft, according to the New York Attorney General's office.
THE ISSUE You are the spokesperson for the City of Dallas. A vehicle operated by a city employee has crashed narrowly missed hitting a child riding a bicycle and crashed into a tree. Eyewitnesses say that the driver appeared to be drunk. They described him as stumbling around after he exited the truck. They said when he was asked what happened he could not give a coherent answer and slurred his words. They said asked are you drunk and he said “I don’t know. The driver is no longer on the scene.
YOUR ROLE • You have just arrived on the scene and have spoken to the eyewitnesses • The media is on the scene demanding answers.
THE WRONG WAY • Speculate about what happened • Claim the eye witnesses are lying or don’t know what they are talking about • Speculate about what will happen to the driver before you know all the facts • Discuss possible causes for the accident • Give out the driver’s name • Promise answers in a specific time frame • Begin discussing issues such as drunk driving until you know whether they are related to this incident
THE RIGHT WAY • Explain the process for getting additional answers • Describe the incident as you understand it • How fast did public safety officials arrive at the scene • What are the next steps in the investigation • Who will conduct the investigation? • What is the process? • Mechanical condition of the truck • Take eye witness statements • Look for video • Medical condition of driver/driving record • Talk to the driver • Check for physical evident
THE REAL STORY • Child darted out into traffic • Driver avoided hitting the child but hit tree • Driver suffered from a concussion