Old Navy has fired three employees from one of their Iowa locations after a customer complained about being racially profiled, the Des Moines Register reports.
James Conley III explained the incident in a Facebook post, where he claimed the store's employees accused him of stealing an Old Navy jacket. He says he received the jacket for Christmas and wore it in the store. "The store manager Beau Carter was very unprofessional and stereotyped me because I was a Black male. He says 'anytime someone wears Old Navy clothing they have to always scan that customers clothing to ensure that it was previously purchased.' (Where do they do that at?)," he wrote.
Conley then had to ask the district manager to check the surveillance tape to prove that he had walked in with the jacket. His Facebook post soon went viral, garnering more than 150,000 shares. The Jordan Creek Mall location was closed on Wednesday and reopened the following day after an investigation. Following the incident, Old Navy released a statement announcing the employees who targeted Conley had been let go. It reads:
Earlier this week an Old Navy customer, James Conley III, had an unacceptable experience in our Jordan Creek, Iowa store. The situation was a violation of our policies and values, and we apologize to both Mr. Conley and to those we’ve disappointed. All of our customers deserve to be treated with respect. Following a thorough investigation of the incident, three employees who were involved have been terminated. We take this matter - and every conversation around equality - very seriously. Old Navy is committed to ensuring that our stores are an environment where everyone feels welcome.
