Man files suit after black employee tries to bag his groceries

[JeffreyLebowski]

If the store was still open for business, I believe it's open and shut.

If they were closed but Texas fire codes require not locking customers in, I think he still wins although not open and shut.

It's dicey, we need more background.

Back when I worked in retail we could lock the doors to prevent any more customers from coming in, but no matter where I worked, an employee was at the door to let customers out until they were all gone.

If they waited for this guy to come in and then locked the door and walked away from it until the police arrived, it's unlawful restraint/False imprisonment.
You can't allow someone to enter your property then hold them there so you can charge criminal trespass. You must give them warning.
A store owner can't just say to himself, Bob the Racist can't come into my store without telling Bob the racist he can't come in your store. Waiting for Bob to show up and then detain him until the police show up is against the law.
Besides, the guy has the right to be a racists @ssh0le. You don't have to like it and the store owner can refuse him business, the store owner cannot violate the guys rights however.
Because we live in America, we all have the right to be jerks. That's called freedom.

 

[MrMuppet]

Unfortunately, they seek to eradicate the black man, not put them into service.

In fairness, "putting them into service" would be rather short-sighted, considering it's already been tried. (Unless you do it the Arab way.) Slavery's a bad idea for a plethora of reasons.

 

[TerryMathews]

He never asked to bag his own groceries. He was being an asshole to the kid who was supposed to bag his groceries after which the kid walks away and has someone else (seemingly white) come to do it. However, the owner told the guy he was no longer welcomed to shop there so the dude left (probably with his groceries)....but what the fuck did he come back causing shit again?

The article clearly states that the store has many people wanting to bag their own groceries but its clear that this guy never asked...instead he wanted to verbally abuse the black kid in the store. Way to go!

There are a couple of different ways that situation could've played out that we aren't privy to, and we're only getting the news reports version of his side.

Did the owner inform him he would be trespassing if he came back? "Get out" is not legally sufficient usually.

It would've been the perfect opportunity for the owner to step in, protect his employee, and publicly ridicule this racist all at the same time. The way this was handled it almost enabled him. The article gave the impression the bagger was a kid. The owner clouldve taken over bagging and talked loudly to the bagger "see Jim, at Bob's grocery barn it's important that we help all of our guests, even the ignorant and illiterate ones."

Finish bagging, hand the groceries to the racist, smile, and inform him under the relevant statute his racist ass is barred from the premises and further incidents will be treated as trespassing.

Locking him in was not wise, ESPECIALLY since he's trouble.

 

[SheHateMe]

There are a couple of different ways that situation could've played out that we aren't privy to, and we're only getting the news reports version of his side.

Did the owner inform him he would be trespassing if he came back? "Get out" is not legally sufficient usually.

It would've been the perfect opportunity for the owner to step in, protect his employee, and publicly ridicule this racist all at the same time. The way this was handled it almost enabled him. The article gave the impression the bagger was a kid. The owner clouldve taken over bagging and talked loudly to the bagger "see Jim, at Bob's grocery barn it's important that we help all of our guests, even the ignorant and illiterate ones."

Finish bagging, hand the groceries to the racist, smile, and inform him under the relevant statute his racist ass is barred from the premises and further incidents will be treated as trespassing.

Locking him in was not wise, ESPECIALLY since he's trouble.

We don't know that they actually held him hostage in the store. Jim bob is claiming this is what happened but this is also the same guy that claims there is a religion that says black people can't touch your food. So, Im not really that invested in his claims of what happened at the moment.

 

[xAlias]

Btw for the folks who keep taking shots on the fat guy, he is actually the owner Keith Langston. :|

 

[sygyzy]

When I read this article, I thought surely this is something that even the ATOT Racists would fine ridiculous. But nope, I am wrong.

 

[actuarial]

Sure its not you, When have I ever claimed to hate black people, I have been critical but not hated them

This guy didn't claim to hate black people either, he just prefers black people don't touch his groceries.

 

[halik]

the south

 

[actuarial]

Because he had the right to bag his own groceries for any reason. Even racist ones.

Should the store owner not have the right to refuse service?

 

[xAlias]

What does word 'negroidal' even mean???

 

[CitizenKain]

Back when I worked in retail we could lock the doors to prevent any more customers from coming in, but no matter where I worked, an employee was at the door to let customers out until they were all gone.

If they waited for this guy to come in and then locked the door and walked away from it until the police arrived, it's unlawful restraint/False imprisonment.
You can't allow someone to enter your property then hold them there so you can charge criminal trespass. You must give them warning.
A store owner can't just say to himself, Bob the Racist can't come into my store without telling Bob the racist he can't come in your store. Waiting for Bob to show up and then detain him until the police show up is against the law.
Besides, the guy has the right to be a racists @ssh0le. You don't have to like it and the store owner can refuse him business, the store owner cannot violate the guys rights however.
Because we live in America, we all have the right to be jerks. That's called freedom.

I guess you were too busy trying to come up with the defense of this racist piece of garbage then to actually read the article. Here is the part you ignored for whatever reason:

“I decided when I heard about what happened that I was going to file a criminal trespass against him,” Langston said. “I just had to wait for him to be present so he could sign it.”

When Thomas returned two days later, he noticed the same black man would be sacking his groceries, so he again requested the “Negro” not handle his groceries, according to the lawsuit.

This time, Langston was there. He called police to serve Thomas a criminal trespass warning. While waiting for the police, an employee locked the doors, and the lawsuit claims Thomas was “unlawfully restrained.”

Thomas said Langston broke the law the night he locked him in the store.
“We were closing, and I don’t know of a business that doesn’t lock their doors when they close. It keeps more people from coming in,” Langston said.

See, the owner had to wait for Thomas to return to serve him the notice.

 

[CountZero]

Why is it a problem if one wants to bag one's own groceries?

It isn't.

The problem is creating a hostile work environment for your employees not to mention the general negative connotations of the way it was handled by the racist. It was obviously a negative experience for the bagger but also likely not pleasant for the cashier or other customers. The business owner has the right to refuse service to people disrupting their store.

The case has other things going on that might or might not be in the store's favor but the action of refusing service is cut and dry.

 

[hal2kilo]

When I read this article, I thought surely this is something that even the ATOT Racists would fine ridiculous. But nope, I am wrong.

They never disappoint.

 

[Daverino]

I used to work at both Wegmans and Whole Foods. I guarantee you that the manager would have banned you from the store if you treated an employee like that.

Good for the manager.

 

[cybrsage]

We know who he's voting for!

Jill Stein of the Green Party. The best way to fight black is with green!

 

[SheHateMe]

What does word 'negroidal' even mean???

Black.

 

[TerryMathews]

I used to work at both Wegmans and Whole Foods. I guarantee you that the manager would have banned you from the store if you treated an employee like that.

Good for the manager.

Without a doubt; how he chose to do it may have caused a larger issue.

 

[TerryMathews]

Should the store owner not have the right to refuse service?

Yes, the store owner does and should. Did he refuse service? I'm under the impression the racist completed transactions both times.

You can't refuse service if you don't refuse service...

 

[werepossum]

It isn't.

The problem is creating a hostile work environment for your employees not to mention the general negative connotations of the way it was handled by the racist. It was obviously a negative experience for the bagger but also likely not pleasant for the cashier or other customers. The business owner has the right to refuse service to people disrupting their store.

The case has other things going on that might or might not be in the store's favor but the action of refusing service is cut and dry.

Oh, I definitely agree with that. The criminal trespass complaint is just stupid* but the manager should definitely have denied the man service and the right to return. "The customer is always right" is a great slogan so long as you remember that the customer is NOT always right, and sometimes losing a customer is the best thing for your store. Good employees don't want a work environment where they are humiliated just to make another buck.

*One caveat - I didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but if this was a recurring thing where the manager DID kick out the asshat and refuse him service, and THEN the guy returned, then a criminal trespass complaint would be appropriate. If they got another employee to bag his groceries without telling him he was no longer welcome in the store, there should not have been a criminal trespass complaint lodged when he returned.

 

[Howard]

People are crazy, man.

 

[TerryMathews]

Oh, I definitely agree with that. The criminal trespass complaint is just stupid* but the manager should definitely have denied the man service and the right to return. "The customer is always right" is a great slogan so long as you remember that the customer is NOT always right, and sometimes losing a customer is the best thing for your store. Good employees don't want a work environment where they are humiliated just to make another buck.

*One caveat - I didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but if this was a recurring thing where the manager DID kick out the asshat and refuse him service, and THEN the guy returned, then a criminal trespass complaint would be appropriate. If they got another employee to bag his groceries without telling him he was no longer welcome in the store, there should not have been a criminal trespass complaint lodged when he returned.

I agree with all this. By all indications the racist was never denied service. Greedy business owner...

 

[CitizenKain]

Why is this hard to follow?
1.) Racist trash comes in, complains about bagging.
2.) Bagger moves to another location. Racist guy leaves.
3.) Owner is told when he arrives, decides to file trespass complaint.
4.) Racist returns 2 days later, see that once again, a black person is there and complains.
5.) Owner calls police while person shops.
6.) Police arrive.

Dude somehow links together business closing with them locking the doors to keep him inside, despite there is no evidence he tried to leave before police arrive.

 

[Incorruptible]

This guy didn't claim to hate black people either, he just prefers black people don't touch his groceries.

I dont care if a black person bags my groceries, I am not going to get upset like that guy, most of the time I just do it myself

 

[emperus]

So, people read this story and what some people found most bothersome was that he may have been locked in the store?

Things that make you go hmmm..

 

[TerryMathews]

So, people read this story and what some people found most bothersome was that he may have been locked in the store?

Things that make you go hmmm..

Yes, because last I checked it wasn't against the law to be a racist asshole.

The owner stood up for his employee. Great! He chose to do it in a way that gave this racist a further way to troll and potentially broke the law in the process. Not so good.

There is every indication the racist bought groceries both times. Not quite the same stand against racism.

If it were my store, I would have walked up to him after the first comment and told him we were choosing to not do business with him, that he needed to leave, and if he came back he would be trespassing.

It's that simple. Locking him in was stupid, especially if he was a trouble customer.