You are viewing our Forum Archives. To view or take place in current topics click here.
Teen charged for making a racial comment over PA system.
Posted:
Teen charged for making a racial comment over PA system.Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Mar 31, 200915Year Member
Posts: 1,140
Reputation Power: 249
Status: Offline
Joined: Mar 31, 200915Year Member
Posts: 1,140
Reputation Power: 249
Original Link - [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]
This is terrible mmmkay.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- A 16-year-old boy patronizing a Walmart store in southern New Jersey took over the public-address system and ordered black people to leave, angering customers and prompting company leaders to apologize, police said Saturday.
Police said the boy, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, went on the intercom at Walmart's Washington Township store Sunday evening and calmly announced: "Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now."
The teen was arrested Friday on charges of harassment and bias intimidation. Authorities said he was released to the custody of his parents; they did not know whether he had a lawyer.
"This was an extremely disturbing event on many levels," Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton said at a news conference. "Any statements like these that can cause harm or grave concern must be addressed as quickly we possibly can."
Dalton said the case would be handled in juvenile court in neighboring Atlantic County, where the boy lives. He would not say whether the boy has a criminal record, citing the teen's age, and would not disclose the teen's race, saying that did not factor into the investigation.
Authorities would not say whether the announcement was planned or made impulsively. Police said they were also investigating a teenage boy who accompanied the suspect to the store, but they had not charged the other boy.
Although a manager quickly went on the intercom system and apologized for the remark, many customers expressed their anger to store management. Some community members said Saturday that they've heard reports of similar incidents happening at the store in recent months that were not reported to police.
"We are concerned about that, and we're looking into these incidents. We want to work with the community to make sure these types of incidents don't happen," said Loretta Winters, president of the Gloucester County chapter of the NAACP.
Winters said she hopes the boy will get counseling and be educated about sensitivity so he can understand the consequences of his actions.
"I'm assuming this person didn't realize how hurtful his comments were," she said.
Officials for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said the announcement was "unacceptable," and Dalton praised the company for its strong cooperation in the investigation.
"We're pleased this matter is resolved," Walmart spokesman David Tovar said in a statement issued after the news conference. "We have updated our intercom system at this store to prevent this from happening again. We again apologize to all of our customers and associates who had to listen to something so offensive."
The incident was the latest in a series of problems the retailer has had in its dealings with minorities and women.
There have been several past instances of black customers claiming they were treated unfairly at Walmart stores, and the company faced lawsuits alleging that women were passed over in favor of men for pay raises and promotions.
In February 2009, the retailer paid $17.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in its hiring of truck drivers.
And the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company in May 2009, claiming some Hispanic employees at a Sam's Club subsidiary in California were subjected to a hostile work environment. That suit alleges managers failed to stop repeated verbal harassment, including the use of derogatory words, against employees of Mexican descent.
However, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has said the company has worked hard in recent years to show it cares about diversity.
This is terrible mmmkay.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- A 16-year-old boy patronizing a Walmart store in southern New Jersey took over the public-address system and ordered black people to leave, angering customers and prompting company leaders to apologize, police said Saturday.
Police said the boy, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, went on the intercom at Walmart's Washington Township store Sunday evening and calmly announced: "Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now."
The teen was arrested Friday on charges of harassment and bias intimidation. Authorities said he was released to the custody of his parents; they did not know whether he had a lawyer.
"This was an extremely disturbing event on many levels," Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton said at a news conference. "Any statements like these that can cause harm or grave concern must be addressed as quickly we possibly can."
Dalton said the case would be handled in juvenile court in neighboring Atlantic County, where the boy lives. He would not say whether the boy has a criminal record, citing the teen's age, and would not disclose the teen's race, saying that did not factor into the investigation.
Authorities would not say whether the announcement was planned or made impulsively. Police said they were also investigating a teenage boy who accompanied the suspect to the store, but they had not charged the other boy.
Although a manager quickly went on the intercom system and apologized for the remark, many customers expressed their anger to store management. Some community members said Saturday that they've heard reports of similar incidents happening at the store in recent months that were not reported to police.
"We are concerned about that, and we're looking into these incidents. We want to work with the community to make sure these types of incidents don't happen," said Loretta Winters, president of the Gloucester County chapter of the NAACP.
Winters said she hopes the boy will get counseling and be educated about sensitivity so he can understand the consequences of his actions.
"I'm assuming this person didn't realize how hurtful his comments were," she said.
Officials for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said the announcement was "unacceptable," and Dalton praised the company for its strong cooperation in the investigation.
"We're pleased this matter is resolved," Walmart spokesman David Tovar said in a statement issued after the news conference. "We have updated our intercom system at this store to prevent this from happening again. We again apologize to all of our customers and associates who had to listen to something so offensive."
The incident was the latest in a series of problems the retailer has had in its dealings with minorities and women.
There have been several past instances of black customers claiming they were treated unfairly at Walmart stores, and the company faced lawsuits alleging that women were passed over in favor of men for pay raises and promotions.
In February 2009, the retailer paid $17.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in its hiring of truck drivers.
And the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company in May 2009, claiming some Hispanic employees at a Sam's Club subsidiary in California were subjected to a hostile work environment. That suit alleges managers failed to stop repeated verbal harassment, including the use of derogatory words, against employees of Mexican descent.
However, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has said the company has worked hard in recent years to show it cares about diversity.
#2. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Jun 23, 200915Year Member
Posts: 5,153
Reputation Power: 1056
Status: Offline
Joined: Jun 23, 200915Year Member
Posts: 5,153
Reputation Power: 1056
Lovely.
xD
xD
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#3. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Jun 12, 200915Year Member
Posts: 8,515
Reputation Power: 520
Status: Offline
Joined: Jun 12, 200915Year Member
Posts: 8,515
Reputation Power: 520
No racist gets away
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#4. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Oct 18, 200915Year Member
Posts: 287
Reputation Power: 14
Status: Offline
Joined: Oct 18, 200915Year Member
Posts: 287
Reputation Power: 14
WOW
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#5. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Dec 16, 200914Year Member
Posts: 1,325
Reputation Power: 52
Status: Offline
Joined: Dec 16, 200914Year Member
Posts: 1,325
Reputation Power: 52
wow kids are retards sometimes
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#6. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Feb 03, 201014Year Member
Posts: 8,154
Reputation Power: 394
Status: Offline
Joined: Feb 03, 201014Year Member
Posts: 8,154
Reputation Power: 394
wow
why would you do that its really sad
hope he gets stabbed!!!! ( not really that would be worse )
why would you do that its really sad
hope he gets stabbed!!!! ( not really that would be worse )
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#7. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Mar 22, 200915Year Member
Posts: 2,011
Reputation Power: 103
Status: Offline
Joined: Mar 22, 200915Year Member
Posts: 2,011
Reputation Power: 103
I think it's funny how some people are cultured and get scared of something other than white.
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#8. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 02, 201014Year Member
Posts: 34
Reputation Power: 1
Wow.
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#9. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Mar 07, 201014Year Member
Posts: 865
Reputation Power: 2
Status: Offline
Joined: Mar 07, 201014Year Member
Posts: 865
Reputation Power: 2
That was the funniest fail.
- 0useful
- 0not useful
#10. Posted:
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 04, 201014Year Member
Posts: 1,108
Reputation Power: 68
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 04, 201014Year Member
Posts: 1,108
Reputation Power: 68
I heard about this and my question is ''How did he get a hold of the PA system?''
- 0useful
- 0not useful
You are viewing our Forum Archives. To view or take place in current topics click here.