Above Photo: Shop and frisk. From AmsterdamNews.com
New York City, NY – Reports indicate that Barneys has agreed to pay a settlement to a Black man who accused the luxury retailer of racially profiling him.
In 2013, then-19-year-old Trayon Christian was stopped and questioned by NYPD officers outside of Barneys after he bought at $350 belt.
Christian alleged that he bought a designer belt before he was stopped by undercover officers. He claimed officers said they were tipped off by a Barneys sales clerk, who accused Christian of using a debit card that did not belong to him.
He alleged that officers asked him how he could afford such an expensive belt. Christian showed the officers the receipt, his ID and the card he used to make the purchase. He was taken in and held and later released after he was able to prove the debit card was his. He later filed a lawsuit against Barneys.
The city has reportedly agreed to pay now-21-year-old Christian $45,000. Barneys settlement has not been disclosed.
At the time, several Black customers spoke out about being stopped by police while shopping at various stores. The trend led to the creation of the term “shop-and-frisk” resulting in protests at several retailers.