New York City Apple Store sued over alleged racial profiling incident

An Apple Store in New York City's Upper West Side has been sued by two customers after an alleged case of racial profiling. AppleInsider reports that two African-American men were told, in no uncertain terms, that they were not welcome in the store. The pair believes that their race was the deciding factor.

According to the plaintiffs, 34-year-old Brian Johnston and 25-year-old Nile Charles, an Apple Store employee told them, "You know the deal. And before you say I'm racially discriminating against you, let me stop you. I am discriminating against you. I don't want 'your kind' hanging out in the store." Johnston and Charles allegedly began recording the incident on their cell phones, prompting another employee to tell them to leave and to "consider me God."

The men also claim that when they addressed the store manager, he had store security call 911.

The incident allegedly took place on December 9 of last year at 3:20 PM, and the suit was filed last February. The plaintiffs are seeking monetary compensation for "emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life and other non-pecuniary losses."

[hat tip Gothamist]