Have you ever shopped at a CVS drugstore and noticed a CVS employee hovering nearby? You weren't imagining things. According to the NY Daily News, blacks and Hispanics are routinely targeted by CVS security for shopping while minorities.
A federal discrimination lawsuit accuses America's 2nd largest pharmacy retailer of discriminating against black and Hispanic consumers.
Sheldon Thomas, a former store detective, says he was ordered to increase his surveillance on black and Hispanic shoppers.
Thomas, who worked for the pharmacy chain from January 2012 to July 2013, said a supervisor told him “watch the black n----rs that come in the store.”
He claims his former supervisor told him, “There are a lot of black and Spanish people here. Make sure you watch them.”
Thomas, who is black, said the supervisor instructed him to file charges against black shoplifters while letting white shoplifters go.
“When you catch the black people, lock them up,” and, “When you catch the Spanish people, lock them up,” the lawsuit claims.
Three former CVS security personal are also pursuing discrimination lawsuits against CVS.
The drugstore chain released a statement denying the allegations.
“CVS Health has firm nondiscrimination policies that are rigorously enforced throughout the company,” the company said in a statement.
“We do not tolerate any practices that discriminate against any of our customers or employees, and our market investigator training explicitly prohibits the profiling of customers."