Barneys will pay $525K in fines after racial profiling investigation


After complaints of racial profiling at Barneys New York's flagship department store, the company will pay $525,000 in "fines and expenses," the Associated Press reports.
The AP reports that both customers and former employees claim that the store's security personnel unfairly targeted minority customers, following them around in the store and suspecting them of shoplifting.
"This agreement will correct a number of wrongs, both by fixing past policies and by monitoring the actions of Barneys and its employees to make sure that past mistakes are not repeated," state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement.
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In addition to paying the fines, Barneys will also hire an "anti-profiling consultant" to improve its security measures in the future.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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