That’s right, the cashier — and then the manager — asked James to take off his jacket so they could scan it and make him pay for it.
He got the whole exchange on video and posted it on Facebook , explaining how it all went down.
James said he laughed at first, saying “I didn’t believe what I was hearing.”
The manager tried to deny that they were racially profiling James, telling him that “anytime someone wears Old Navy clothing they have to always scan that customer’s clothing to ensure that it was previously purchased.”
Anybody ever heard of that before? Me neither. And they weren’t scanning any other customers’ clothing.
After they tried to make James pay for his jacket, the district manager got involved. James had her check the security cameras, which clearly showed James walking into the store wearing his jacket. And after that, silence. Stunning silence.
The store manager was suddenly too busy to acknowledge James. The district manager didn’t even come back down to apologize.
He was simply asked to stop filming inside the store. No apology, nothing.
A stunned James walked out of the store in disbelief at what had just gone down.
It’s no wonder he posted his videos on Facebook. They promptly went viral as people raged at his treatment, gathering more than 150,000 shares.
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You have to commend James for keeping his cool during the whole episode.
It’s easy to imagine him blowing his top and making a scene — heck, most of us would lose it on the employees, and with good reason — but he stayed calm throughout. The internet sure had something to say, though.
The store’s Facebook page received a tidal wave of one-star reviews from angry people.
Overnight, James’ post galvanized people against the Jordan Creek store. Its Facebook page received 14,000 one-star reviews, and only because zero stars wasn’t an option.
And the comments were fierce!
James got an outpouring of love and support, and Old Navy Jordan Creek was raked over the coals for degrading and humiliating him.
Even now, it’s hard to imagine that he could be treated so poorly, have proved himself right with video evidence, and still not receive any kind of apology from the store’s management.
Well, Old Navy’s corporate team caught wind of the situation and stepped in to try some damage control with an apology of their own.
And, according to their statement , the three employees involved were sent packing.
The store even had to close briefly while the dust settled. But that doesn’t mean James is done.
Don’t be surprised if Old Navy finds a lawsuit on its hands.
