The New York State Attorney's office is probing racial profiling complaints against Barney's New York, after at least two customers came forward to accuse the retailer of unjustly accusing them of thievery. Now, it appears two former security officers will sit down with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to divulge certain store policies they say sparked some of the alleged profiling.
The Daily News reports that Raymel Cardona, a former assistant manager for loss prevention, and former plainclothes security guard Aaron Argueta were scheduled to meet with Schneiderman today. The erstwhile employees reportedly told officials that the store saw an increase in profiling complaints thanks to a store-sponsored a new, aggressive loss prevention program. "The idea is to hear firsthand what they have to say,” a source told the tabloid. “It’s normal investigative procedure.”
Apparently, Barney's charged that Argueta and Cardona are "disgruntled" and looking to get back at the company, though their lawyer denies that allegation; the men say they have 30 combined years of experience on the security beat.
Earlier this week, Barney's blamed the NYPD for the profiling incidents, after Barneys CEO Mark Lee publicly apologized to African-American customers Trayvon Christian and Kayla Phillips, who filed complaints against the retailer. The NYPD has refuted Lee's statement.
