A Black Jacksonville, Florida, couple wants to hold Walmart accountable after they were falsely accused of stealing from one of its stores.
In October, Raymond and Nekeeya Brewster were accused of stealing children’s clothes from a Walmart in Jacksonville’s Northside neighborhood. They decided to return the items the following day, but Nekeeya stated she was unaware of the best course of action to do so.
“She decided the smart thing to do was to put the clothes and the receipt for the clothes in the original Walmart bag, and then
tie that bag shut,” detailed the suit obtained by News4Jax.Before heading to the register to return the clothes, Nekeeya put the bag in the cart and went to the department to find the correct size. She hoped to purchase the better-fitting item while obtaining a refund.
However, while at customer service, someone with Walmart’s loss prevention claimed she put something in her bag. The couple was with their children, including a baby held in Nekeeya’s arms, at the time.
Despite trying to show the receipt, the employee insisted that cameras
caught them putting a pair of maroon pants illegally in their bag. Jacksonville police arrived and “required” the entire family to enter a small front office at the store for further investigation.“We get into this room,” the father of three recounts. “They close the door. The room is probably like a 10 by 10, like it’s really small. So, you know, it’s like me, my three daughters, my wife, two loss prevention guys and two officers.”
The JSO officers questioned the employee about why they were not notified about the receipt. After the hour-long ordeal, the police allowed the family to leave.
The store did not provide the footage supporting the employee’s claims of Nekeeya Brewster stealing. The situation left the couple feeling “humiliated,” leading them to file a discrimination lawsuit against the retail giants.
“I go there all the time, shop there all the time, and what happened to us was unimaginable,” continued Raymond Brewster. “I never expected that to happen.”
Their lawsuit seeks damages, among other fees, for claims ranging from profiling to wrongful imprisonment and defamation.
The news also comes after Walmart received backlash from the Black community over its rollback on
DEI initiatives and practices. The company will no longer conduct racial equity training for employees, which could lead to more instances of racial profiling.RELATED CONTENT: Jesseca Harris-Dupart Calls Out Walmart’s Elimination Of Multicultural Beauty Sections