Victoria’s Secret has apologized to a woman who was asked to leave the store. (Photo: Getty Images)
A woman shopping at a Victoria’s Secret in the Quintard Mall in Oxford, Ala., says she was shocked and dismayed to be asked to leave the store. Traveling nurse Kimberly Houzah says she and a second black shopper were made to leave after a store manager caught another black woman shoplifting.
In a live video of more than 11 minutes, posted on Facebook, Houzah tells the story of her interaction with store manager Faith, who can be seen in the video talking to the other black woman that Houzah claimed had also been asked to leave. “Completely furious, I could cry,” Houzah said before explaining the situation. “There was another black female in here who got caught stealing … so [Faith] asks me and another black female to leave because, she can’t tell us why, but we’re kicked out [of] the store.”
Houzah says that no one asked to check her bag, said that once the other woman was caught stealing, she and the second black woman were promptly asked to leave. “She caught the other black girl stealing, and she was like ‘You need to get out of here.’” Houzah said the woman who identified herself as “Faith” asked if she and the other innocent shopper were with the thief, and they said they weren’t. “I would have felt more comfortable if [she had] said, ‘Ma’am, can I check your bag?’”
According to Houzah, she and the woman caught stealing had no interaction. “We didn’t even come in the store together. We just happened to be in there at the same time,” she said through tears. “Folks done made it OK to be publicly racist and say and do what they want.” Besides being completely taken aback by the store manager’s request, Houzah was frustrated that the woman automatically assumed that she had to be up to no good, didn’t bother to confirm her suspicions, and just made her leave the store as if she were guilty of something.
“You don’t want to be the type of person that feels like everybody is racist, and I don’t think everybody is racist,” Houzah said. “But I’m trying to understand why because we just happened to be three black women at Victoria’s Secret, that we gotta be together. I mean, it ain’t like we walked in the store together [or] were shopping around together.” Police say that they did get a call about a shoplifter, but the goods she attempted to steal never made it out of the store.
Victoria’s Secret hopped on Facebook to denounce the way Houzah and the other black woman were treated, and also to say they had apologized for the incident. “What happened at our store should not have happened and does not represent who we are or what we stand for. The store associate involved in this matter is no longer employed with the company,” they wrote. “Victoria’s Secret is adamant that all customers regardless of race be treated with dignity and respect at all times.”
According to AL.com, there was a demonstration outside the Victoria’s Secret location, where peaceful protesters, who had an agreement with police, attempted to hold the store accountable for the troubling actions of its employee. And it looks as if their protest paid off: Houzah was offered an apology by the store.
