Monthly Archives: January 2016

Alexander McQueen : High Fashion or High Risk of Discrimination?

The well known luxury brand, Alexander McQueen, has been hit yet again with another discrimination lawsuit. This time, two African American inventory workers for the company allege that the Alexander McQueen flagship store in New York City has consistently displayed unjust treatment and made systematic racist remarks. Christopher Policard and Duane Davis both feel they were continuously discriminated against and note being falsely accused of theft and searched as one of the many instances where their race was targeted working for the company. Unfortunately racism still continues to plague the workplace and may even leave an individual victim to a wrongful termination.

In this lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that African American workers are not given the opportunity to work or be seen on the sales floor. Policard and Davis claim that the only time African American workers are on the sales floor is when they are searched after being accused of theft so as to humiliate them in front of coworkers and customers. They further note that if a white worker is accused of theft, they are searched off the sales floor and after hours. When they tried to bring up these discrepancies in treatment with management they were scoffed at, and turned away.

The lawsuit was officially filed against in Bronx Supreme Court against Alexander McQueen, the parent company Kering Americas, and four managers. One of these managers was included in one of the several previous lawsuits for discrimination in which they made racist comments to a security guard working at their Meatpacking location. Back in 2013, there was another lawsuit filed on behalf of a Hispanic saleswoman who was a victim of a barrage of racist remarks and wrongful termination. The plaintiffs in this situation are seeking undisclosed damages.

Facing discrimination is always difficult but when it is experienced in the workplace, navigating complex state and federal laws can be especially tricky. If you or a loved one is facing discrimination or a wrongful termination in the workplace give our firm a call at 212-300-0375 and speak to one of our experienced attorneys for a free phone consultation. They will be able to help sort through the facts and discuss your situation.