An Old Navy Canada employee is out of a job after a video went viral that showed her grabbing a customer that she accused of shoplifting. Ontario, Canada resident Lisa Calderon shared videos on her Facebook page that showed the encounter she had with an Old Navy employee and mall security guards. Calderon claims that she visited the store because she wanted to exchange some merchandise. She writes that she was being racially profiled and it made her feel uncomfortable, so instead of making the exchange, she just decided to leave and go somewhere else.
However, while she was at another store looking at shoes, an Old Navy associate named Stephanie approached her and accused her of shoplifting. According to Calderon, Stephanie said that Calderon exited Old Navy wearing a different shirt than when she'd entered. "She then proceeded to put her hands on me in front of security guard Quesada 10830909, after getting very irate they advised her to let go, I went back to the store and had to wait, after she already said she previously seen the video. Her manager Gillian Pike than apologized, took my info after approx 15mins and said they would get back to me with the district store manager."
Calderon continued, "I would’ve been more calm and understanding if she didn’t accuse me first, and would’ve been happy to show my receipt, especially because I voiced my racial profile complaint to the employee before I left the store. This needs to stop, Stephanie had no Right to aggressively lay her hands on me and accuse me of stealing a $13 dollar top, had she not have done that this situation would’ve ended quietly."
It's been two days since the video of the incident first hit social media and after the video went viral, Old Navy Canada issued an apology on their Twitter account. "Old Navy was founded to be a place where everyone belongs. It’s been a part of our culture & values since day one, and that makes it even more upsetting when incidents occur that don’t reflect those values."
"We are so sorry that our customer Lisa Calderon had an unacceptable experience in one of our stores, and we apologize for letting her down. We investigated quickly & thoroughly," the company continued. "The employee involved in this situation is no longer with Old Navy. Our commitment to ensuring everyone who shops and works in our stores feels welcome & respected is a top priority. As part of our commitment, we have ongoing training for our employees and strict policies in accordance with our values."
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