Treme star Rob Brown has reached a settlement in the racial profiling lawsuits he filed against Macy’s and the city of New York, after he was handcuffed and “paraded” throughout the store when he tried to purchase an expensive watch for his mother last year.
According to the New York Daily News, a settlement has been reached, but the parties are not willing to say much about the details, which have not been finalized yet.
“The court has been informed that the parties have reached a settlement in principle,” Manhattan Federal Judge Lorna Schofield wrote Thursday.
Macy’s released a statement to confirm the settlement and said the company has no tolerance for discrimination.
“The lawsuits by various plaintiffs who alleged racial profiling by Macy’s have been settled in principle,” a spokeswoman for Macy’s said. “We are making no further comment.”
She did go on to add, however, that Macy’s “strictly prohibits discrimination of any kind and has zero tolerance for racial profiling.”
Brown’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, confirmed that a settlement had been reached but did not make any comments on the terms.
When Brown attempted to buy a $1,300 watch as a graduation gift for his mother in June 2013, authorities at the department store accused him of trying to use a fake credit card — even after he provided all his credentials.
Authorities insisted the credentials were falsified and placed the 30-year-old actor in handcuffs.
Brown fired back in lawsuits, accusing Macy’s and the New York City Police Department of false imprisonment, negligent training and civil rights allegations.
He was seeking unspecified damages and pushed for a court order that would force Macy’s and the NYPD to stop racially profiling minorities who are shopping in high-end stores.
Unfortunately, Brown wasn’t the only minority shopper who claimed to be a victim of racial profiling at Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square last year.
Maria Paez said she was also a victim of racial profiling when she attempted to try on clothes at the store.
Paez said she was with her son trying on clothes in September and put items that she wanted to purchase into a Macy’s bag.
She said she was going to take the bag to the register to purchase, but before she could even reach the checkout counter she was detained by authorities and placed in the store’s jail.
Paez’s case has also been settled in principle and Wigdor was also representing her.
