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From: Donn Irving on 20 Mar 2010 16:05
On Mar 20, 12:54 pm, Al Sharpton <kink...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> Maybe the NAACP or another such group was involved.
>
> In ANY case, slaves-wages Wal-Mart deserves it.  Selling all that lead-
> poisoned Chink tableware and baby and kid toys and clothing ...
>
> -----------------------------------------
> "Teen charged in NJ Walmart racial comment case"
>
> By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI, Associated Press Writer
>
> WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – 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.
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_wal_mart_racial_comment

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