Apple Sued For Alleged Racial Discrimination

Apple is being sued for alleged racial discrimination perpetrated by Apple Store employees at the New York City Upper West Side store, according to AppleInsider.

Plaintiffs Brian Johnston, 34, and Nile Charles, 25, visited the Apple Store on Dec. 9, 2010 at around 3:20pm to purchase headphones. Both black males were wearing "baggy jeans and large sweaters with hoods" when they were confronted by a white Apple employee in his 50s, about 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds.

Johnston and Charles say the employee approached them in an "intimidating fashion," invading their "personal space," and said to them, "You know the deal. You know the deal." They were told they must leave the store unless they planned to purchase something or see a Mac Specialist. Before they could respond the employee said, "And before you say I'm racially discriminating against you, let me stop you. I am discriminating against you. I don't want 'your kind' hanging out in the store."


The plaintiffs say they were "shocked and humiliated" by the incident and used their cell phones to record the confrontation when another employee approached and said "Now you have to go. If you want to know why, it's because I said so. CONSIDER ME GOD. You have to go."

Johnston and Charles say their requests to speak with a manager were ignored. They reportedly found one on their own to whom they made allegations of racial profiling.

"In order to further harass, degrade, humiliate, and discriminate against Plaintiffs, the manager asked Defendant's Head of Security to call 911," the complaint reads. "Defendant interfered with Plaintiffs right to purchase personal property because of their race."

The lawsuit was filed this February in the New York Supreme Court but has since been moved to the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York.


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