Jovita Jones Cage bought a bra from Victoria’s Secret at a Tennessee mall, but the clerk forgot to remove the sensor.
When Cage brought the bra back to the store Monday with a receipt, asking for the sensor to be removed, the manager called the cops and had her handcuffed.
The Collierville police officer accused her of shoplifting but after searching her purse and realizing she did not steal anything, he released her.
But he still told her she was no longer welcome at Victoria’s Secret.
Cage, who is black, believes the incident was racially motivated.
After all, she did not do anything illegal but was still banned from the store.
According to WREG.com:
Jovita Jones Cage says she’d bought a bra from Victoria’s Secret, but the employee forgot to take the sensor off.
So she took it back with the receipt on Monday, explaining what happened.
“She got the receipts out and was able to find the right one and remove the sensor. I told her she could keep the bag there, because I was going to go shopping around the store,” Cage said.
As she was on her way to try the clothes on, she noticed a Collierville Police officer in the store.
“The police officer walked straight up to me and slapped handcuffs on me,” she said.
Cage says she was shocked and confused.
After asking what’s going on, she says the officer told her “to put both of my hands behind my back, because I was under arrest for shoplifting.”
This is at least the second time since December 2016 that Victoria’s Secret has accused black shoppers of shoplifting, banning them from the store even though they did not shoplift.
The last time took place in Alabama, prompting the company to offer a public apology and assuring the employee that banned the shopper was no longer working there.
Victoria’s Secrets released the following statement about the latest incident, also assuring the employee was no longer working there:
“We are sincerely sorry for the experience Ms. Jones Cage had in our store. Bottom line, we made a mistake, and we do not tolerate this behavior. Our head of stores has been trying to reach Ms. Jones Cage to personally apologize for her experience. Victoria’s Secret is adamant that all customers be treated with dignity and respect. We have investigated the matter, and the associate involved is no longer employed with our brand. In addition, we are meeting with every associate in the store to reinforce our values and policies. We are committed to delivering an excellent shopping experience to every customer, every time … we have work to do – and we are dedicated to this mission.”
The company also offered her a $100 gift certificate for her humiliation, but she rejected it.
Cage, who attends Howard University and also tutors kids, was worried that somebody she knows would see her in handcuffs and assume the worst.
“I don’t know if one of the parents of the kids I tutor could’ve been there. I don’t know if one of my old professors could’ve been in there,” she told reporters.
