Nike is publicly apologizing to one family after they say they were racially profiled by a white store manager earlier this month.
According to NBC News, a black couple was visiting a Nike store in Santa Monica on July 5, when they were accused of stealing a $12 basketball that they had already purchased.
The ball was for their 18-month-old son who had picked it out in the store. However, upon leaving, a store manager and two police officers confronted the family about shoplifting and demanded to see their receipt.
The child’s mother, Tamiya Dickerson, recorded the dispute and posted the now-viral video online. After showing their receipt, the couple returned the ball to the store for a refund.
The father, Joel Stallworth, told KTLA that the store manager made accusations with “zero evidence.”
“To accuse somebody of stealing, you need to have evidence, right? So she just accused me. She had zero evidence that I stole anything. She couldn’t have evidence because I bought it. She discriminated against me,” Stallworth said. “She planted an evil seed in the officer, so as soon as the officer came up to me, he said, ‘Sir, give me the stolen ball.'”
Despite showing the store manager proof, Stallworth claims she never apologized. The couple has already hired an attorney, because they believe they were racially profiled.
Nike released an official statement on Friday prompting an investigation and issuing their “deepest apologies” to the family. As for the store manager, she no longer has a job with the company.
“We are taking the recent situation at our Santa Monica store very seriously, and we are currently investigating the facts. We have reached out to the family to express our deepest apologies, and we will continue to work with our teams to ensure we deliver on our expectations for consumer experiences.”
