San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) April 29, 2019 – Supermarket chain Raley’s was recently sued in Sacramento County Superior Court for the termination of three security personnel who complained of racial profiling at its grocery stores in Sacramento, California. One security officer, Candace Alston, appeared with her attorney Bryan McCormack on Fox40 on April 10 to comment on the case, which alleges racial discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination.
According to Alston, Raley’s managers told loss prevention officers to follow customers of a specific race. “They would want us to watch black people specifically,” she said. “One manager told me when I first starting to work in his store, ‘Oh, we really have a problem with n—— over here. So, just watch them, just watch them.’”
McCormack, of the San Francisco-based employment law firm McCormack and Erlich, is representing the three African American loss prevention security officers formerly employed by Raley’s and Camden Security Services, which contracts with grocery stores for security services.
Raley’s managers were accused of making frequent racist and discriminatory comments to and about McCormack’s clients, as well as other African American employees and store customers. All three plaintiffs were eventually fired in retaliation for complaining to their employers about the workplace discrimination and harassment, as well as the racial profiling policy that Raley’s managers enforced.
The lawsuit also alleged that Raley’s failed to take any action when the security officers expressed concerns about their safety after being threatened and attacked at several grocery stores. They were forced to work alone in dangerous situations despite police suggesting that it was unsafe to do so in certain stores in the Sacramento area. One officer that McCormack is representing even had a gun pulled on her by a customer.
A Raley’s spokesperson said in a statement to Fox40, “Raley’s contracts with Camden Security Services for security services at our stores. The individuals suing are not current or former Raley’s employees.”
McCormack disagrees. “They [Raley’s] are putting together the schedules. They discipline the security officers,” he told Fox40. “They, in every way, act like an employer and under the law, they share the responsibility. They are considered the employer as well.”
The lawsuit is seeking punitive damages, as well as damages for physical suffering, emotional distress and lost earnings. It is also calling for Raley’s to improve training in order to eliminate discriminatory managerial practices.
Media Contact: Bryan J. McCormack of McCormack & Erlich, 150 Post Street, Suite 742, San Francisco, CA 94108; telephone (415) 296-8420; email: bryan@mcelawfirm.com
McCormack & Erlich
150 Post Street
Suite 742
San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 296-8420
McCormack & Erlich Blog
- Disclaimer: Macy’s class action lawsuit
- More training and safety needed for California wildfire prevention workers
- Sephora workers seek unpaid wages over time spent on applying makeup
- Employees sue Blue Apron for wage and overtime violations
- Golden State Warriors ticket sales employee sues for discrimination and retaliation
- Jury rules in favor of Home Depot worker in wrongful termination case
- McDonald’s workers strike over lack of sexual harassment protections
- California enhances rules for workplace sexual harassment prevention training
