Black people must leave store, announcer at NJ Walmart says

[Solauren]

Black people must leave store, announcer at NJ Walmart says; company investigates

By Bruce Shipkowski, The Associated Press


WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. - An announcement at a Walmart store in New Jersey ordering black people to leave brought chagrin and apologies Wednesday from leaders of the company, which has built a fragile trust among minority communities.


A male voice came over the public-address system Sunday evening at a store in Washington Township in southern New Jersey and calmly announced: "Attention Walmart customers: All black people leave the store now."


Shoppers in the store at the time said a manager quickly got on the public address system and apologized for the remark. And while it wasn't clear whether a rogue patron or an employee was responsible for the comment, many customers expressed their anger to store management.


"I want to know why such statements are being made, because it flies in the face of what we teach our children about tolerance for all," said Sheila Ellington, of Monroe. She and her friend, Patricia Covington, were in the store at the time and have said they now plan to boycott the retailer.


Officials with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., said that the announcement was "unacceptable" and that they're trying to determine who made it - whether an employee or a rogue patron - and how it happened.


"We are just as appalled by this incident as our customers," the company said in a statement Wednesday. "Whoever did this is just wrong and acted in an inappropriate manner. Clearly, this is completely unacceptable to us and to our customers."


This is not the first time the retailer has faced such problems.


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 favour of men for pay raises and promotions.


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.


Bill Mitchell, a former Walmart employee who shopping Wednesday at the store, said that he was saddened to hear about the announcement but that "as a black man, I've heard worse things."


As she left the store Wednesday, customer Sharon Osbourne of Williamstown called the announcement "appalling, stupid and sad."

You know, I don't know why customers are getting pissed of at Walmart over this.

First, this was obviously not an official store announcement. Someone was dicking around with the PA system.

More then likely, it was not a Walmart employee (or if it was, it was stupid one). Reason being: Pulling a stunt like that anywere will get your fired. Even if you have the most racist boss on the planet, he's going to can you to protect his own skin.

Quite frankly, unless a store as a 'sign in with your user id' to use the PA system, this is going to happen anywhere. Very few stores have a system like that, as it could prove problematic in a emergency situtation. Nothing generates bad PR like someone hurting themself in a store and not being able to call for help because the PA system had a password.

Hopefully, whoever did this was caught on video survillance in the store. That way, if it's a Walmart employee, that can publically fire him to send a message. If it wasn't a Walmart employee, they can at least go 'see, it was some jackass'.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

From my very brief time as a Wal-Mart employee several years ago (it shames me to admit that), basically any of those phones you see on the pillars throughout the store can lead directly to the PA system as long as you know the extension number. My wild guess: It's an ex-employee who lost his job and blames 'dem darkies' for taking it. And though I may catch crap for it, I'm giggling at this story, both for the RL trolling aspects of it and in light of the fact that compared to the much worse types of racism that regularly go on to this day, this is the equivalent of a kid screaming 'neener neener neener' in the middle of a gang-fight.

[Gil Hamilton]

I disagree. This is EXACTLY the sort of juvenile bullshit stunt a bored teenaged employee would pull. Probably some guys on their break pissing around, someone made a joke, and in the process of one-upping each other, one of them did it. You assume that that an employee would never do it because he might be fired, but frankly, I've meet enough people who've worked at Walmarts or Targets or K-Marts or whatever to know full well that most of them get to the point where they kind of hope to be fired or don't care if they do. This is because being a teen employee of those places sucks royal donkey balls. People who work in the stock room also know full well they'll get fired if they get caught stealing, but stealing is rampant in those places by employees.

[Jaevric]

I agree that it wouldn't surprise me if it was an employee. People, especially some of the teenagers you see working at places like Wal-Mart, will often do any stupid thing that pops into their heads. Back when I was working at a Cinemark (movie theater) we all had to carry walkie-talkies; we had a bunch of people from corporate office in the theater, one of whom was a very attractive woman in a barely-professional skirt. A dumbass coworker got on the walkie-talkies and said, "Man, did you guys see the ass on that chick from corporate?"

Needless to say, said "chick from corporate" and the theater manager were standing right next to me when this happened. Not to mention quite a few customers. I consider it a triumph of willpower that I didn't start laughing, especially at the expression on my manager's face and the woman from the office's.

I despise Wal-Mart, but blaming them for something like this is stupid; this isn't a store policy or company policy issue, this is an issue of "some of the people we hire are idiots."

Edited for a stupid spelling error.

[General Zod]

I disagree. This is EXACTLY the sort of juvenile bullshit stunt a bored teenaged employee would pull. Probably some guys on their break pissing around, someone made a joke, and in the process of one-upping each other, one of them did it. You assume that that an employee would never do it because he might be fired, but frankly, I've meet enough people who've worked at Walmarts or Targets or K-Marts or whatever to know full well that most of them get to the point where they kind of hope to be fired or don't care if they do. This is because being a teen employee of those places sucks royal donkey balls. People who work in the stock room also know full well they'll get fired if they get caught stealing, but stealing is rampant in those places by employees.

I find a rogue customer to be easily believable. When I worked retail we had. . .well, people who weren't exactly mentally stable come into the store from time to time. We even had some dickhead go around playing with the phones on our walls which we used to page other employees once, so I could very easily believe it was some random fuckwad.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Heck, I've even seen posts in online forums *cough4chanchough* where someone said 'LOL here's how you take over the PA system at the store, the code is XXXX'. Not hard to imagine someone trying it out.

[eion]

as a former retail whore, I concur that it is oh so easy to hijack the phone systems in almost any store. I doubt it was an employee as any store worth a damn has cameras on most phone locations and any employee possessing even the rudementory intelect of a republican knows where all the cameras point.

I've had to eject many a teenager who has pulled this exact stunt in my many years. It is so common as to be unfunny. And they all think it's so funny.

[Kanastrous]

I'd like to think that the primary intent was not to offend black customers, but to create a pr inconvenience for WalMart. If'n that was the case, I'm kind of pleased if the material harm to WalMart is - which it seems very likely to be - greater than harm done the customers who were offended.

[Rye]

Seems to me it was just a politically incorrect joke by either a teenage employee who doesn't care if he's fired, or thought he could get away with it, someone who's already been fired, or perhaps it already had a list of numbers on the inlay of the phone and they were just a customer.

[Steve]

A variant of this happened at the Old Time Pottery location I worked at, though I didn't arrive for my shift until afterward. One of the head cashiers, a somewhat smug, arrogant, and annoying lanky guy named Jason, got canned... so on his way out he went to a store phone, triggered the PA, and launched into some curse-filled diatribe against the store.

By comparison, I would do PA hijinks myself, after closing, where I'd tense my vocal cords and try to speak in this really deep, scratchy, "evil" voice (a co-worker once compared it, perhaps inaccurately, to "Barry White mixed with Darth Vader".... not sure why he thought of Barry White), demanding all (non-existent) customers depart the store immediately or I would "devour your souls!". The managers and supervisors we had were really laid back so it was tolerated and even something of an in-joke over the years, well, until turnover eliminated all the fun people and I stopped doing it.

All in all, most likely a customer or ex-employee trying to stir shit. Wouldn't be surprised if it was a dumbshit teenage employee though, again, I've seen cases of kids so desperate to "get out" of a job they hated that they intentionally began acting up and doing things to get fired (another OTP story there).

[eion]

A variant of this happened at the Old Time Pottery location I worked at, though I didn't arrive for my shift until afterward. One of the head cashiers, a somewhat smug, arrogant, and annoying lanky guy named Jason, got canned... so on his way out he went to a store phone, triggered the PA, and launched into some curse-filled diatribe against the store.

Which is why smart masters managers who wish to maintain an iron grip on their slaves employees always escort the separated person to the parking lot.

All in all, most likely a customer or ex-employee trying to stir shit. Wouldn't be surprised if it was a dumbshit teenage employee though, again, I've seen cases of kids so desperate to "get out" of a job they hated that they intentionally began acting up and doing things to get fired (another OTP story there).

Yeah, I'm still surprised by the number of teenagers who don't understand what "at-will" employment is.

[Steve]

A variant of this happened at the Old Time Pottery location I worked at, though I didn't arrive for my shift until afterward. One of the head cashiers, a somewhat smug, arrogant, and annoying lanky guy named Jason, got canned... so on his way out he went to a store phone, triggered the PA, and launched into some curse-filled diatribe against the store.

Which is why smart masters managers who wish to maintain an iron grip on their slaves employees always escort the separated person to the parking lot.

Well, things were a tad chaotic that day. Not only was Jason fired, but so was Tom, our store manager. Not that Tom was in the proper shape to escort Jason out if he hadn't been fired (he was, to put it mildly, morbidly obese, to the extent that he walked with a cane and also used a shopping cart to carry his case from the office to his vehicle when going home).

Yeah, I'm still surprised by the number of teenagers who don't understand what "at-will" employment is.

In the case I recall, it wasn't a failure to understand that, but clearly the fact that while for the store and employee it's "at-will" employment.... parents add a de facto third party to the arrangement, primarily in the case of the kid-employee.

And it was just so blatantly "fire me" too. The kid was okay the first two weeks and then next thing you know he's not just goofing off, he's also lighting paper plates on fire in the break room, annoying fellow workers with absurd and even gory remarks, and generally being a douchebag. He finally did get fired, too, for pushing a co-worker. Right in front of me, I'll add.

[Flagg]

Well apparently the police have made an arrest.

Police: Arrest in NJ Walmart racial comment case

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Police say they have made an arrest in the case of a racial comment being made over the public-address system at a Walmart store in southern New Jersey.

The Washington Township Police Department said on its Web site early Saturday that an arrest has been made in a "bias incident" at the retail store. The posting says the police and Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office will announce the arrest at a midday news conference.

Washington Township Police declined to comment early Saturday.

A male voice came over the Walmart public address system Sunday evening and calmly announced: "Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now." The announcement provoked an immediate apology from the store manager.

Officials for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said the announcement was "unacceptable."

I honestly can't imagine what the fuck basis they are using to justify arresting someone for this. I mean I guess if you made a gigantic stretch you could try for disorderly conduct or if you're out in Mars land inciting a riot. Frankly I don't know why the fuck this Police Department is wasting it's time on this nonsense. Since I doubt they can even get a disorderly charge (which is a fucking misdemeanor) to stick, this arrest is more outrageous than the stupid racist comment made over the PA.

Why the fuck is this even news, anyway? I mean we all know Wal-Mart sucks, but they can hardly be accountable for some idiot doing one thing in one store.

[eion]

Yeah, I'm still surprised by the number of teenagers who don't understand what "at-will" employment is.

In the case I recall, it wasn't a failure to understand that, but clearly the fact that while for the store and employee it's "at-will" employment.... parents add a de facto third party to the arrangement, primarily in the case of the kid-employee.

And it was just so blatantly "fire me" too. The kid was okay the first two weeks and then next thing you know he's not just goofing off, he's also lighting paper plates on fire in the break room, annoying fellow workers with absurd and even gory remarks, and generally being a douchebag. He finally did get fired, too, for pushing a co-worker. Right in front of me, I'll add.[/quote]

I was quite thrilled to find out my company had a standing policy of not hiring anyone under 18. Using the fact that we sold pornography and other such mature titles was just an excuse, the DM knew how much parents tend to fuck up employee relations. Sucks for those nice 16 year old bookworms who would be good employees, but at least I never had to deal with that childish bullshit.

As to how the police are justifying the arrest, if it was a non-employee they can slap them with electronic trespass. If it was an employee, they could probably get incitment to riot or if NJ has a hate-crimes statue get them under that.

[Losonti Tokash]

From my very brief time as a Wal-Mart employee several years ago (it shames me to admit that),

No need to be ashamed, a job is a job, and to be honest of all the retail places I've worked they treat their employees the best.

My money is on some dumbass customer rather than a disgruntled employee. They prank call the place constantly and just come in and tear the place up if they get bored in the middle of the night. That, coupled with the fact that the PA system security consists of picking the handset up and hitting the page button, means it's pretty damn easy for some guy to just walk up and say stupid shit over the PA system if someone has left a phone unattended (which there will be).

[Flagg]

Well, according to Yahoo the person who made the announcement is some dumb 16 year old. What a shock.

Teen charged in NJ Walmart racial comment case
16-year-old boy charged with making racial comment over intercom at southern NJ Walmart

Bruce Shipkowski, Associated Press Writer, On Saturday March 20, 2010, 3:14 pm EDT

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.

How the fuck can this be "harassment" or "bias intimidation"? It was some snot nosed little punk making a bad joke. No one was harmed except for Wal-Mart itself who can easily sue the little fucker if they choose to, but other than that what fucking crime has been committed here? I honestly can't believe that the police and prosecutors are really going to waste time and money on something this petty and dumb. I still want to know why this is national news, too.

[General Zod]

How the fuck can this be "harassment" or "bias intimidation"? It was some snot nosed little punk making a bad joke. No one was harmed except for Wal-Mart itself who can easily sue the little fucker if they choose to, but other than that what fucking crime has been committed here? I honestly can't believe that the police and prosecutors are really going to waste time and money on something this petty and dumb. I still want to know why this is national news, too.

They sound like bullshit charges to me, though you could make a reasonable case for causing a public disturbance.

[Steve]

The more media attention such a case makes, the harder the smackdown comes. Nails that stand out getting hammered and all.

[eion]

It'll get pleaded out. He'll get probation and community service. The charges are just an opening threat.