"BUYING WHILE BLACK"

'His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt': Queens student arrested after buying Ferragamo belt sues Barneys

·      Trayon Christian, 19, taken to NYPD precinct despite using his own debit card and ID at the upscale Manhattan store

·      The college student, who lives with his mom in Queens, New York, had saved up from his part-time job to buy the Salvatore Ferragamo belt

·     Mr Christian is suing Barneys and NYPD for unspecified damages

A black college student who had saved up money from his part-time job to buy a designer belt at Barneys department store was pounced on by police 'because he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase', according to a new lawsuit.

Trayon Christian, 19, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday for unspecified damages against the Madison Avenue store and the NYPD who wrongly accused him of fraud.

Mr Christian, who lives with his mom in Queens, had decided to splash out on a $320 belt by designer Salvatore Ferragamo after seeing one of his favorite music stars, Harlem rapper Juelz Santana, wearing the accessory.

Trayon Christian, 19, has brought a lawsuit against Barneys and the NYPD after they wrongly accused him of fraud when he purchased a designer belt

Barneys department store is facing a lawsuit after a 19-year-old black student claims he was wrongly grabbed by store detectives because of his color and accused of stealing a designer belt

However once he had paid for the belt and had left Barneys on April 29 this year, the fashion-loving teen was grabbed by undercover officers on the street.

According to the civil rights lawsuit, the 19-year-old was asked 'how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt'. 

Mr Christian's lawyer Michael Palillo told the New York Daily News: 'He’s never been arrested.

'His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt.'

A Barneys store employee had asked the 19-year-old for ID when he used his Chase debit card to buy the belt. Mr Christian showed the clerk his state ID.

The store cashier then subsequently called the police to claim that the purchase was a fraud, according to the lawsuit.

Officers took the teenager, who is an engineering freshman at the NYC College of Technology, to a local precinct.

Mr Christian once again showed his ID, debit card and receipt for the belt.

Officers still refused to believe the teenager.

'In spite of producing such documentation Christian was told that his identification was false and that he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase,' the suit states.

Finally Chase bank was contacted who verified that the debit card belonged to Mr Christian. 

It was only then that he was allowed to go after spending two hours in a holding cell, the suit claims. 

The NYPD denied this and said the student was only held for 42 minutes.

The student, who has no history of arrests, said that he will never shop at Barneys again following the incident.

The teenager, who now works at Target, told the News: 'I brought the belt back to Barneys a few days later and returned it. I got my money back, I’m not shopping there again. It’s cruel. It’s racist.'

A Barney's New York spokesman said: 'Barneys New York typically does not comment on pending litigation. 

'In this instance, we feel compelled to note that after carefully reviewing the incident of last April, it is clear that no employee of Barneys New York was involved in the pursuit of any action with the individual other than the sale. 

'Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights.'

(ALSO)

Male supermodel Tyson Beckford says he gets racially profiled 'all the time' in Barney's as row rumbles on over two customers who say they were stopped because they were black

One of the world's most successful male models has waded into the row over whether Barney's flagship superstore in Manhattan racially profiles its customers.

Fashion megastar Tyson Beckford, 42, told PIX11 on Thursday that he frequently gets judged on the color of his skin in Barney's and other places.

And on Friday it was revealed that another high-end shop, Macy's, is facing a lawsuit from customer who says he was mistreated and humiliated due to the color of his skin. 

'I might have the most recognizable face in the world. I still get followed all the time, any time I go to a store,' Beckford said outside Barney's on Thursday.

Target: World famous male model Tyson Beckford said that even he is racially profiled when he goes into stores like Barney's and elsewhere

Barney's has also issued an apology and stated that they are employing a civil rights expert to look at how they treat customers at the luxury store.

Meanwhile Jay-Z is coming under pressure to drop his clothing deal with the high-end store.

Tyson Beckford was interviewed by PIX11 as he came out of Barney's flagship store on fashionable Madison Avenue near 60th Street in Manhattan.

'I just went in there now to go to a casting and security is looking at me. It's sad,' said the model who first hit fame when he became the face of Ralph Lauren's Polo range in 1993.

Also on Thursday, Barney's CEO Mark Lee posted a statement on their Facebook page that began: 'Barneys New York believes that no customer should have the unacceptable experience described in recent media reports, and we offer our sincere regret and deepest apologies.'

The note added that the store has 'zero tolerance for any form of discrimination. We are a strong proponent of equal rights and equal treatment for all human beings.

Trouble: Barney's flagship store in Manhattan is in a row about whether it racially profiles its black customers after two young New Yorkers complained about their treatment this week

'Our mission is to ensure that all customers receive the highest-quality service - without exception.'

Lee then announced that the company is hiring civil rights expert, Michael Yaki, who also works on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, to work with the store on this issue.

Then on Friday, Robert Brown, of Brooklyn, became the third young person in a week to take legal action complaining of racial profiling by high-end Manhattan stores.

The New York Daily News reported that Brown is filing a lawsuit against Macy's after he was allegedly 'paraded' through the store in handcuffs after employees accused him of making a fraudulent purchase.

Brown claims he was then unlawfully stopped and held by police, who told him that his ID was 'false and that he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase.'

'No facts existed that would give rise to the inference that either the identification or debit/credit card was fake, false, fraudulent, altered, tampered, or in any other way unlawful,' the suit states, as reported by the Daily News.

The suit says that Brown was humiliated by the experience before he was released without charges.

It accuses Macy's and the police of acting against Brown 'based on (his) race and age as he was a young black American male.'

But Beckford is just the latest big name to become embroiled in the row over Barney's treatment of black customers, as Jay-Z has come in criticism over his Christmas deal with the store.

The controversy began when two young black New Yorkers came forward to say that they had been stopped and detained after buying expensive items from the luxury shop.

'Sad': 'I just went in there now to go to a casting and security is looking at me. It's sad,' said the model who first hit fame when he became the face of Ralph Lauren's Polo range in 1993

BARNEY'S APOLOGY IN FULL

Barneys New York believes that no customer should have the unacceptable experience described in recent media reports, and we offer our sincere regret and deepest apologies.

Further to our statement of yesterday, we want to reinforce that Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination. We are a strong proponent of equal rights and equal treatment for all human beings. Our mission is to ensure that all customers receive the highest-quality service—without exception.

To this end, we are conducting a thorough review of our practices and procedures as they relate to these matters to ensure that they reflect our continued commitment to fairness and equality. To lead this review, we have retained a civil rights expert, Michael Yaki, who also serves on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The Commission has been the nation's watchdog for civil rights for more than 50 years. Mr. Yaki will be provided with unrestricted access to all aspects of our store operations.

In addition, Barneys New York has reached out to community leaders to begin a dialogue on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Mark Lee
CEO of Barneys New York

Under pressure: Jay-Z is coming under pressure from social media and even his own home neighborhood to drop his lucrative Holiday tie-in with Barneys after two alleged incidents of racial profiling at their flagship store

Trayon Christian, 19, from Queens and Kayla Phillips, 21, a seven-month pregnant mother from Canarsie, Brooklyn

Jay-Z is coming under pressure from social media and even residents of the Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up to cancel his multi-million dollar Christmas tie-in with Barneys.

The superstar rapper, has signed a contract to design an exclusive line for the Manhattan superstore available next month and the 43-year-old will also be called upon to decorate one of the store's iconic Christmas windows.

However, in light of the news that two black shoppers have accused Barney's and the NYPD of racially profiling them after they purchased expensive items at the Madison Avenue store, a petition has been signed calling on Jay-Z to reconsider his contract.

Indeed, the residents of Marcy House, in Brooklyn, where Jay-Z grew up as Shawn Carter have called on the '99 Problems' rapper and husband of Beyonce to think about those who have not become as succesful as him.

'Jay Z and my son grew up together,' said Effie Hardy, 74, to the New York Daily News.

Expensive: Items available from Jay-Z's new exclusive line at Barneys called 'A New York Holiday' - which has products available for tens of thousands of dollars

'That could be his family Barneys is profiling. They would’ve done the same thing to him back in the day, before he got to where he is now. He should remember that.'

The luxury and exclusive collection that Jay-Z has lent his considerable clout to is named 'A New York Holiday,' and the cheapest item is a $70 cotton T-shirt while a Shawn Carter watch by Hublot with alligator skin straps will cost an incredible $33,900.

Another Marcy resident, Annette Rush, 40, told the New York Daily News that as a role model, Jay-Z should think about the ramifications of the two shoppers allegations.

'My money is as good as anybody else’s money. It’s all green,' said Rush.

'From someone that came from the hood, he should know all that. He knows how hard it is.

'I don’t think he should sell his things there, not at a place where there’s racial profiling going on. It’s ridiculous.'

On Tuesday, Trayon Christian said that he was suing the city and Barneys after he was accosted by two undercover NYPD detectives after he had bought a $349 Ferragamo belt.

Evocative: This Twitter user tries to invoke Jay-Z's paternal instincts by questioning how he would feel if his daughter was racially profiled as it is alleged the NYPD and Barneys profiled two black customers

And then on Wednesday, Kayla Phillips said that she too had been stopped. The young mother, from Brooklyn, New York, said she experienced similarly shocking treatment from staff at the Madison Avenue store in February when she bought a $2,500 Céline handbag.

She has now filed a $5 million notice of claim with the city showing her intention to sue the NYPD.

'As I was walking into the train station, four undercover police officers attacked me,' Phillips told the New York Post.

'They were very rough,' she added to the New York Daily News. 'I didn't know what was happening.'

She explained to the cops that she had used a temporary Bank of America card to make the purchase - and they demanded to know why her name was not on it.

Complaint: Kayla Phillips, 21, says cops demanded to know how she could afford to buy a $2,500 Céline bag from Barneys in New York - in a case that echoes that of a teen accusing the store of racial profiling

Shock: She called her mother Wendy Straker (right with Kayla) who said she heard police ask her daughter: 'What are you doing here in Manhattan? Where'd you get the money to buy that expensive bag?'

She called her mother, Wendy Straker, who said that the police officers had asked her daughter: 'What are you doing here in Manhattan? Where'd you get the money to buy that expensive bag?'

Straker added that the police were on the phone with a Barneys employee about the transaction.

Police finally let her go after she showed them her ID and new debit card, which arrived that morning.

'Jay Z is getting ready to do a campaign with Barneys, but they’re looking at these African-American kids like they're thieves,' Straker said.

The case comes after it emerged that another shopper, Trayon Christian, was stopped and handcuffed after he bought a $350 Salvatore Ferragamo belt in the store.

Treat: She had just bought a $2,500 orange suede Céline handbag when she was stopped by cops

Christian, 19, has now filed a lawsuit for unspecified damages against the Madison Avenue store and the NYPD who wrongly accused him of fraud.

Mr Christian, who lives with his mom in Queens, had decided to splash out on the belt after seeing one of his favorite music stars, Harlem rapper Juelz Santana, wearing the accessory.

However once he had paid for the belt and had left Barneys on April 29 this year, the fashion-loving teen was grabbed by undercover officers on the street.

According to the civil rights lawsuit, the 19-year-old was asked 'how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt'.

Mr Christian's lawyer Michael Palillo told the New York Daily News: 'He's never been arrested. His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt.'

(PLUS)

Al Sharpton condemns 'shop and frisk' at Manhattan stores and threatens direct action against Barneys after racial profiling claims

·Reverend Al Sharpton has accused Barney's of 'upscale racial profiling' after they allegedly called police on two black customers who bought expensive items

·He said blacks and Latinos worry about being 'stopped-and-frisked' by police and 'shopped-and-frisked' in retail stores

·Sharpton has demanded a meeting with Barneys and called for a boycott of the retailer

Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton has threatened protests against New York retailer Barneys and a possible boycott for 'upscale racial profiling' after two black shoppers said they were discriminated against.

'In major cities like New York, blacks and Latinos not only worry about being “stopped-and-frisked” by police, but they also fear the embarrassment of being “shopped-and-frisked” in retail stores,' he said in an opinion piece for the New York Daily News.

'Perhaps all retailers need a friendly reminder of the immense buying power of blacks and minorities. We will definitely remember those who welcome us and those who would rather profile us, and we will speak loudly with our dollars — bottom line.'

Time for action:The Rev. Al Sharpton has condemned 'shop and frisk' at Manhattan stores and called for a boycott of Barneys

Two black Barneys customers said this week they were detained by police after making expensive purchases.

Trayon Christian, 19, sued Barneys, saying he was accosted by undercover NYPD officers after using his debit card to buy a $349 Ferragamo belt in April.

Kayla Phillips, 21, said she was surrounded and interrogated by police after purchasing a $2,500 handbag from Barneys in February.

Sharpton said it was a 'travesty' that police and retailers interrogate black people who buy expensive items.

'Barneys, a high-end retailer with stores in major cities, must answer for this pattern of biased behavior, as must the NYPD,' he wrote.

'Our National Action Network (NAN) Brooklyn chapter President Kirsten John Foy said it best when he called Barneys’ behavior schizophrenic. On the one hand, they want to expand their brand to the urban market, but then they turn around and see us as suspects rather than prospects.

'Barneys and other retailers that openly discriminate against us must be held accountable. Simply apologizing isn’t enough; we need to see a plan of action as to how they are going to rectify their ways.'

Accountability: Sharpton said Barneys, a high-end retailer with stores in major cities, must answer for its 'pattern of biased behavior'

Sharpton has demanded a meeting with Barneys CEO, Mark Lee, and is 'currently mobilizing activists for peaceful direct-action against the store and the NYPD.'

Earlier this week, Lee said the company had retained a civil rights expert to help review its procedures and offered his 'sincere regret and deepest apologies'.

'Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights,' Barneys said in a statement.

In his comment piece, Sharpton also highlighted the experiences of 'Treme' actor, Rob Brown, and Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker.

Brown claimed he was paraded through Macy’s Herald Square in handcuffs and placed in a holding cell because an employee suspected that his credit card didn’t belong to him in June,

Whitaker said he was accused of stealing and patted down after leaving a store in Morningside Heights.

'When international celebrities can be disrespected and mistreated in such a humiliating manner, how can we ever naively believe that our work is done?' Sharpton wrote.

Shocking: Trayon Christian, 19, left, and Kayla Phillips, 21, claim they were interrogated by police after buying expensive items from Barneys

Deuteronomy 4:7

For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?


Deuteronomy 4:8

And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Deuteronomy 28:37

And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee.

Lamentations 2:16

All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

Ezekiel 13:4

O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.