Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Illinois

Everytime I shop at this particular store and she's working she loves picking at/on me... she'll tell me to get out the store, or you cant shop here, you have to leave and she laughs, but I don�t find that funny. I'm a customer just as everyone else. I've told her more than once to leave me alone, even the Store Manager looks at her funny, and that�s when the girl would stop. When the Store Manager is not around, she continues her harassment. There was a time I was out and about and she had seen me and she came towards me and was all in my face acting extremely immature, I ignored her. Everytime she sees me she bothers me.

I seen the girl yesterday 6/22/2012 at 5:45pm and I had shopped at the store, and during checkout she called me a derogatory name (I cant remember the derogatory term she used), but there was a customer who was standing by and heard her call me out my name along with another cashier (the cashier that witnessed this is Caucasian with blond hair and glasses and she is an employee at the store), I do not know her name. I grabbed my items and left, but went back at 5:55pm because I forgot to purchase something and , the girl ran to the door , laughed at me, and she locked the door, and I was not allowed as a US citizen to continue too shop where I wanted. I felt degraded and I felt that my civil rights were being taken away from me. So I just left, and went to another store to purchase what I had forgotten. I have the right to shop where I want, when I want, regardless of race, color or creed. I have no clue who this girl is. I've never seen, nor met her until I started shopping at the store. I am tired of being harassed by this young lady everytime I shop at this store and she's there. This is a free country and shopping at that particular store doesn�t feel like it.

what should I do?


Asked on 6/23/12, 5:06 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Thomas Moens Moens Law Offices, Chartered

You do not have the right to shop at any store you want. Store owners can refuse service to individuals. That being said, if their refusal is based on you being a member of a protected class (race, nationality, religion, etc.), that is a different story. In other words, if I own a restaurant, I can refuse to serve attorneys, or even people who wear clown shoes, but not Italians.

If the derogatory name was based on you being a member of a protected class, that may indicate that the discrimination may be unlawful. You do not indicated whether or not this is the case. The simple answer is, talk to the store manager. I doubt he or she knows what is going on with this employee. If this is a chain, you might try contacting a regional or national representative as well.

Read more
Answered on 6/25/12, 10:10 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Civil Rights Law questions and answers in Illinois