Man accused of stealing own jacket at US store, says he was 'racially profiled'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NZ Herald


3 Feb, 2018 2:29pm

James Conley III says he was "racially profiled" at an Old Navy store in Des Moines, US, where a store clerk accused him of stealing the jacket he wore to the shop.

On Monday, the man walked into the Iowa store wearing a blue Old Navy jacket that he had received for Christmas.

He went up to the counter to pay for some hoodies and the man behind the counter asked him if he also wanted to buy the jacket he was wearing.

"First, I started laughing because I didnt believe what I was hearing," the man said on Facebook.

Read more: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11987606

[kimbutgar]

1. Something tells me this man will never shop old navy again.

[lunasun]

2. Wow never tried to apologize in the video you can see both managers were like ok the tape

proves you wore the jacket when entering so now leave

[joshcryer]

6. How could they not profusely apologize after checking the video?

Like, let's assume they just got extra paranoid that day, racist or not, they got paranoid and their brains stopped working because they can't interpret body language and realize the guy was dead serious that he walked in with the jacket. Eventually they'll check the store camera and see their utterly reprehensible mistake and they should've profusely apologized. The guy probably would not have even posted the video.

Also if true that they told him they "scan" people who come in with Old Navy Clothing on I have never once heard of that policy and it is ridiculous on the face of it. What utter scumbag of human beings. All for minimum wage.

[dchill]

20. "How could they not profusely apologize...?"

Trump.

That's how.

[marble falls]

3. At the same time, the jacket was scanned: did the customer leave the tags on the jacket???

[Moosepoop]

4. The cashier typed in numbers from a label inside the jacket.

You can "scan" the barcode on a price tag, or alternatively you can type in the numbers below the bar code instead and it will do the same thing. With a lot of clothing items, the same barcode that's on the price tag is also manufactured right into the clothing, on a cloth label just like the size or washing instruction labels.

The video of the cashier typing in the numbers from the inside label (the guy took his jacket off and gave it to her so that she could access the label) is posted on his facebook page.

I've done this many times when a price tag is missing or for some reason just won't scan. The computerized cash registers in major stores are set up to recognize the barcodes for items sold there, whether read in by a scanner or typed in by hand.

[marble falls]

11. From the article.....

"The manager reportedly tried to say scanning Old Navy clothing a customer is wearing is standard procedure but Conley said he always wears this jacket when visiting the store and has never been able to scan his clothing.

"Then after they scan my jacket they try to make me repay for it?? Finally the District Manager Shannon (who refused to give out her last name) came out and I made her check the surveillance tape to prove that her and her fellow employees were in the wrong for racially profiling me because of the color of my skin," the man continued."

Not saying he stole the jacket, I'm asking did he leave the tags on the jacket. I have Old Navy clothing (they have the best boot fit jeans) and there's nothing to scan on them after the tags are removed. Also in some places, Chicago, for example, a Hip Hop style element was wearing clothes, particularly ball caps leaving the tags on.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/2ckoil/why_do_people_leave_tags_and_stickers_on_their/

http://www.jacksonville.com/lifestyles/columnists/phillip_milano/2010-01-27/story/dare_to_ask_why_do_some_people_wear_clothes_wi

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070827094710AAYWUex

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-12-24/business/fi-945_1_price-tags

[Moosepoop]

14. Old Navy uses a style number on the inside label.

It's not the actual barcode -- sorry, I misspoke when I said that it's always a barcode number. Sometimes it is, but some companies use their own "style numbers," "UPC numbers" (which are not always the same as barcode numbers, but can be), or some other name for their own set of numbers/letters sewn into the garment.

With Old Navy, the style number of a garment is sewn into the item, and is also replicated on the paper price ticket attached for store level sales. The style number can be used for online shopping, or for ringing up the item at a cash register.

http://oldnavy.gap.com/customerService/info.do?cid=83042&cs=style_numbers

The video that Mr. Conley posted shows the cashier typing in the numbers from the inside label of the jacket.

The surveillance tapes proved that he was wearing the jacket when he entered the store, and also that other customers wearing Old Navy clothing had not been confronted as he had been.

No, he wasn't still wearing the price tag. The store was using the style numbers on the inside of the garment.

The NZ article in the OP is a little unclear, here's a more in-depth link to the story: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/02/01/old-navy-james-conley-iowa-west-des-moines-racially-profiled/1085987001/

[lkinwi]

7. The way that they acted after they were proven wrong was telling.

They didn’t even think that he deserved an apology. I hope he gets a nice settlement.

[ginnyinWI]

8. I stopped shopping there after only one time.

Tried to return something and was given some excuse and given only a portion of the price I paid. Done.

[BuddhaGirl]

12. Did you have a receipt? Did you return the item

outside of the return time period? The reason I ask is that I've never had any problems returning something to Old Navy.

[ginnyinWI]

13. Yes I had a receipt and returned only a little while after.

There was something about, "oh we don't stock that item anymore". It might have been an after Christmas return, not sure. But that's all the more reason, I'd think, to give the refund.

[Deuce]

9. From article...they apologized on their Facebook page.

[Demsrule86]

10. I expect all involved will be fired.

I hope they apologized to the man in question. One of our friends is a very wealthy guy...does some computer thing. He dresses well and is educated. He is a person of color. My husband told me they never entered any mall store without some security guy following our friend. The same thing happens to our future son in law. It is disgusting.

[Deuce]

18. It appears the three employees involved were fired per Old Navy's facebook page.

"Following a thorough investigation of the incident, three employees who were involved have been terminated."

[Demsrule86]

25. Good...they had it coming.

[haydukelives]

17. Old Navy apologized

the individuals have not. The managers ought to fired for not apologizing, not for being racist.

[Deuce]

19. The three employees were fired...

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/02/03/old-navy-fires-three-iowa-employees-after-viral-facebook-post-alleging-racial-profiling/304297002/

[FakeNoose]

15. This happened at the Old Navy store in West Des Moines, Iowa

But the newspaper that published the story is in New Zealand.

Huh??

[toddwv]

16. I don't know... sounds kind of suspicious.

Why would a regular Old Navy customer wear Old Navy clothes while shopping at an Old Navy store for more Old Navy clothes?

/s

[Dream Girl]

21. How is that suspicious??

What are you trying to say? Are you justifying their profiling? Disgusting. One should be able to wear wat they want when and where they want. Unless of course they are black according to you at least.

[JHB]

22. ...oooor, maybe toddwv was being sarcastic, perhaps?

[Dream Girl]

23. Hope so. Lots of apologism for racist acts out there.

Even on DU.

[toddwv]

24. That's why the post has an /s since there isn't a sarcasm font.

[Pope George Ringo II]

28. Of course there isn't.

[Demsrule86]

27. And what you say about DU is not true...you should delete.

[Dream Girl]

29. Im thinking back to Michael Brown and others. There were a number of posts suggesting cops were

Probably justified in many of these actions. Some suggested that Michael Brown was responsible for what happened to him. Even with Trayvon Martin there were some as well as Castillo in Minneapolis. Somehow the cop who shot that man in cold blood was justified. I have seen some posters contort themselves in knots to justify police actions. Granted, there haven’t been many, many but it has been pretty shocking to see any at all. In rereading the original post it’s pretty obvious that the post was intended to be sarcastic so I have egg on my face for that. However, when I originally saw it, my mind immediately went to those apologists. I stand by my remarks regarding DU.

[Demsrule86]

30. I must of missed those.

Trolls who were probably tossed out ...eventually. Still unless you can produce some recent evidence...you should delete that part of your post. DU does not tolerate racism period.

[Demsrule86]

26. Sarcasm