Tyrese Gibson will not tolerate racism.
Tyrese Gibson and two of his pals, Manuel Hernandez and Eric Mora, are suing The Home Depot for $1 million for what they characterize as racial profiling in a Los Angeles-area store.
The reported incident occurred on February 11, in the evening. Their lawsuit claims that they were “subjected to outrageous discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling.” Gibson estimates that he has spent at least $1 million at various Home Depot locations throughout the years.
Gibson and his two companions were allegedly delayed at a Home Depot checkout line due to a “purported glitch in the system.”
According to the trio’s complaint, “the glitch” prevented them from checking out for roughly 20 minutes before a crowd gathered at the checkout counter due to Gibson, the franchise’s “Fast and Furious” star.
Mora and Hernandez were waiting for the transaction to be completed when he decided to leave the business and wait in his car.
Gibson stated that he discussed this plan with the Home Depot clerk. The cashier “acknowledged Gibson and said he understood,” according to the lawsuit, and Gibson then requested whether the transaction still required any additional information from the cashier.
The cashier informed Gibson that he might leave. When Gibson’s two companions attempted to pay with his credit card, the cashier allegedly “refused to complete the purchase transaction.”
“The cashier gave no reasonable explanation other than repeating ‘store policy’ and demanded to see a form of identification,” the complaint says. “The manager refused to speak with Gibson in person. It was only after significant heated discussion with the cashier that Gibson was finally able to complete the transaction.”
The complaint also stated that, “The actions of the cashier and manager were discriminatory based on race and origin. There is no other plausible explanation for the mistreatment of Plaintiffs. The transaction was refused, despite Gibson’s repeated authorizations, because of Plaintiffs’ skin colour and, in the case of Mora and Hernandez, also because of their national origin.”
“This is a clear and deplorable instance of discriminatory mistreatment and consumer racial profiling. The treatment of Gibson, Mora and Hernandez by The Home Depot was humiliating and demeaning.”
“Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form. We value Mr. Gibson as a customer, and in the months since this happened, we’ve reached out to him and his attorneys several times to try to resolve his concerns. We will continue to do so,” as per Variety.
“The Home Depot has refused to take any responsibility for discriminating against Gibson, Mora and Hernandez, or to acknowledge the pain, humiliation and anguish caused by the company,” the lawsuit fires.
“Instead, The Home Depot doubled down, lawyered up, and treated Gibson, Mora and Hernandez and what happened to them as not worthy of any due consideration – instead inferring that they are the problem.”
