A lawsuit was filed and is seeking class action status against the toy store chain for alleging racial discrimination toward black customers. The lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Manhattan on behalf of people who believe they were unlawfully or unreasonably detained or searched at a Toys "R" Us store because of the color of their skin.
The lawsuit claims policies put in place by Toys "R" Us had subjected blacks to unjustified and unwarranted scrutiny, causing a disproportionate number of black customers to be assaulted, battered, surveilled, stopped, seized and searched without just cause. The case alleges black customers are subjected to compulsory inspection of their sales receipts after they buy merchandise and try to leave the stores, while white shoppers are not subjected to the same heightened and biased scrutiny. Metro One, which provides loss prevention services to retail stores, is also included as a defendant in the suit.
