New Jersey Woman Sues CVS for $1M for Racist Receipt

[CountAllVotes]

Source: ABC News

A New Jersey woman of Korean decent is suing CVS for $1 million after claiming that a store employee used a racial Asian slur on her receipt.

Hyun Lee, 37, of Egg Harbor, N.J., was picking up photos from a CVS, also in Egg Harbor, N.J., when she noticed that the cashier had identified her as “Ching Chong Lee” on her receipt.

According to her attorney, Lee contacted CVS customer relations, but was apparently told by CVS in an email response that the employee would be “counseled and trained.”

“He should have been terminated immediately,” Lee said through her attorney, Susan Chana Lask, to ABCNews.com. “She never got an apology. She never got anything further after she complained.”

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/new-jersey-woman-sues-cvs-for-1m-for-racist-receipt/

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Cannot blame this woman one bit!

[jberryhill]

1. Why only $1M?

Why not 2?

[Mr. Evil]

2. CVS sucks booger encrusted turds

She should go for $10 million then settle for the $1 million. Then CVS should fire the little goober that caused all this.

[Wait Wut]

3. Counseled and Trained?

Seriously? I almost beat the living crap out of a Walmart cashier for being impatient and rude to my Japanese DIL. I'd kick this asshole's ass all the way back to conception.

[Generic Other]

35. I find my white relatives are always more angry when they encounter the racist behavior

I think it is because it comes as such a shock based on the fact they don't normally encounter such behavior in their own lives.

One would not think that Asians would still be treated this way, but I can attest that even half-Asians like me encounter it. One comes to expect it.

But it is not the norm. It is random hate from ignorant people who thankfully do not speak for everyone.

I understand your outrage on behalf of your DIL. My husband has the same reaction.

[Wait Wut]

40. My DIL is incredibly tolerant.

When she first started working as a waitress at a sushi place, she said some people would make comments about her English or why she was here. I told her to tell them she married my son, a Marine, and if they had any problems they should talk to him or me. She laughed and said it didn't really bother her much.

You may be right about our sensitivity to racism. I can tell when someone is becoming impatient with her, but she seems oblivious. It could have something to do with how fiercely protective I am of her. I promised her family I would take care of her and I take that promise seriously. Or, it could just be because I have zero tolerance for racism and bigotry. I have no problem making comments to strangers when stupid pours from their hole.

[CountAllVotes]

4. “counseled and trained.”

You get what you pay for in this world we live in.

The people that work for Caremark have no employee benefits and many of their employees that have had a prior employer -- well I know of one person that came to CVS from McDonalds!

Class acts these people! Corporations suck, that is the problem.

She should sue for more, I agree!!

[alp227]

11. So you're blaming poor pay and benefits for the racism?

Egg Harbor, NJ is near Atlantic City, and the county is only 7.5% Asian and 65% white. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_County,_New_Jersey#Demographics

Maybe the lack of diversity in the area is to blame?

Meanwhile, the county of Philadelphia has an Asian population around 6% but has greater diversity as a big city.

I'm Asian-American and my home county has an Asian population of near 32%.

[CountAllVotes]

17. no I am not!

I am trying to make the point that they pay their employees poorly, they have no training and they are on their own.

Most likely people working for this POS company hate it. I can guarantee that much!

Things like this happen because they hire people to work for them and do not bother to tell them what the proper protocol is.

The protocol for all businesses used to be, "Customers first" I think!

[davidpdx]

22. I think their hiring practices in general need to be examined within the company

as well as diversity training.

[Nye Bevan]

5. She deserves something. But $1 million seems like too much.

I would say maybe $1000 or $5000 would be fair.

[Xithras]

6. She can sue for anything she wants.

It will be up to a jury to decide whether the insult was worth a million dollars. My guess is that CVS will make her a small four figure offer to make the case go away, and she'll probably take it.

Most people who file suits like this don't actually expect to get a large payout, but it's a way to attract headlines that will help to bring visibility to the original wrong, and may result in a small payout as a way to publicly apologize. If she had only sued for $1,000, you and I probably would have never heard about this case, and she wouldn't have got a thing.

[markpkessinger]

7. Exactly . . .

. . . she would have to make the case that she, or her interests, were damaged to an extent that would justify such a large award. Won't happen.

[SemperEadem]

8. thank you...

cvs needs to be made an example and that employee needed to be fired for the sheer stupidity of putting that store in the position it is now in. Clearly, that person has had no home training.

[davidpdx]

24. I would be shocked if within the next few days the employee isn't let go

But the company will probably wait a few days to pressure the employee for information before firing the them. The employee will only really suffer being fired and maybe forced to testify if it gets that far. It is a shame that will be the only consequence.

[The Wizard]

15. The demand is for one million

but the jury determines damages, and if they rule 5 million or 5 cents that's the the jury's call. A jury award can be changed on appeal.
That part of the state has many hillbillies and xenophobic "patriots."

[SemperEadem]

9. it's' not up to you

it's up to her, the attorneys and possibly a jury.

[Nye Bevan]

14. You're right. Anything that I don't get to decide legally, I shouldn't express my opinion on

in an online discussion forum. I don't know what I was thinking.

[cstanleytech]

20. Mmmm, no this is the DU and opinions are allowed its just

some people seem to be confusing it with the freerepublic where such things are not tolerated.

[LanternWaste]

44. t helps to realize that our spoken opinions often have consequences upon being heard.

"I shouldn't express my opinion on in an online discussion forum...."

Bless your little heart, of course you may. However, it helps to realize that our spoken opinions often have consequences upon being heard.

[SemperEadem]

45. that's non sequitur...

no one is saying you can't express an opinion... stop making my response about something it's not.

You can say whatever you wish---what you don't have a right to is to not have that opinion challenged and rejected.

[Red Mountain]

10. First generation.....eye roll.......'we HAVE to do this so we won't get sued'.

Second generation.....'this is company policy and like it or not you are expected to behave this way'.

Third generation.....'why would you say something like that? This training session is a complete waste of time'.


Progress.

[Malik Agar]

12. Racism is bad and all...

But people seriously need to get thicker skin, everybody is too lawyer sue happy nowdays. My parents, who were called way worse things back in the day, always taught me that 'sticks and stones will break my bones but words will NEVER hurt me' and I've found life much better this way.

[CountAllVotes]

18. really?

My WWII father pounded into my head to never take any crap from anyone.

Don't get mad, get even was his motto.

Had this happened to be, I'd be looking to sue as well.

[AsahinaKimi]

19. First its words...

Then its fists. Than its far worse... It needs to stop.

[ncteechur]

13. Nope--deserves a piece of her mind and maybe firing but no way $1milliion.

CVS will settle for a few thousand at most.

[elleng]

27. Right, good, thanks, ncteechur.

[AsahinaKimi]

16. Racism is so common... people spew what ever they want..and no consequences..

I am glad to live in a diverse city like San Francisco where we get along fairly well most of the time.

[davidpdx]

25. Yes SF is diverse which makes it a nice place to visit

It would be a nice place to live if it weren't so expensive. I'd love to take a break from Korea and live in SF for a year. The weather certainly would be a plus.

[AsahinaKimi]

28. You are right ..it is

My apartment is low at 1050 dollars a month. But if you can handle that.. its worth every penny. Santa Barbara was really expensive too, but i prefer to live in the city, where its easy to get access to stuff, I can't get there. Plus, living in the shadow of Japantown makes it perfect for me.

[davidpdx]

29. Wow, that's pretty high

How big is your apartment? I might have to do that after I finish my DBA. I think my wife (who is Korean) would like that. The downside to that is I'd live close to my half sister who is in the East Bay area.

[AsahinaKimi]

30. The size is a one bedroom.

Its a garage level..meaning that my front door opens to the garage. There is a back yard but no one uses it. Its about two miles from the Ocean.. so there is that. Not far from Japan town. All in all its okay..the problem with renting here, is now they have this thing where Landlords expect you to make 3 times the amount of your rent. They will not let you rent if you can not meet that requirement.

[davidpdx]

31. Well 3 X the rent isn't as bad as it is here in Korea

You have to have a minimum of $10,000 for a deposit, in most cases more. Our small two bedroom that we left 2 1/2 years ago we had a $20,000 deposit. I just about fainted when my wife told me that.

[AsahinaKimi]

38. wow.

I guess I will stay in San Francisco than!

[davidpdx]

39. Well if we went to SF for a year we could rent our place out and probably get $30,000 for a deposit.

Put it in a safe investment and that plus rent we'd probably pay for most of the trip. I'm not sure Id want anyone tearing my house up though.

[bitchkitty]

42. I don't know what it's like now...

But when I was there in the 80s I felt like I was going to die from depression. It was so cold, there were homeless people begging on every corner, and if you smiled at someone on the street, they did not smile back. Was there racism? I couldn't tell - everyone seemed to hate each other, regardless of their color.

Maybe I just lived in a bad neighborhood?

[davidpdx]

21. Rediculous

Why people just hate others because of their race or ethnicity is beyond me.

[goldent]

23. Never knew about this "ching chong" slur

[marshall]

33. Rosie O'Donnell got raked over the coals for saying it

Don't know if she also pulled her eyes into slits, but she had no clue that it would be taken as a slur. Just like people who say they are going to jew down a price.

[elleng]

26. $1m in damages?

for being pissed off?

[Ter]

32. Fire the employee, but don't give her a dime

Sorry, what was on that receipt was offensive and insulting, but worse things happen.

[cbdo2007]

37. agree

[Arkana]

34. Jesus Christ, the fuck?

Seriously?

[Brooklyns_Finest]

36. Frivolous

An apology letter from the company should be enough.

[Neoma]

41. Sounds like she tried that already and didn't get one.

[thearchive]

43. I was hoping she was lesbian

And the receipt for milk said "One Gal Homo."

(Yes, the oldest joke about receipts.)