U.S District Court Judge Susan Illston approved on Tuesday the settlement of a class action lawsuit, Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch, requires the retail clothing giant to pay $40 million dollars to Latino, African American, Asian American and women applicants and employees who charged the company with discrimination.
The settlement also requires the company to institute a range of policies and programs to promote diversity among its workforce and to prevent discrimination based on race or gender.
As part of the settlement, Abercrombie & Fitch admitted to no wrongdoing.
“We have, and always have had, no tolerance for discrimination,” Mike Jeffries, Abercrombie Chairman and CEO, said. “We can now focus on achieving even greater representation of diversity among our associates and management.”
The lawsuit was originally filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in June 2003 by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) and the law firm of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann, & Bernstein, LLP, on behalf of nine young adults of color, including students and graduates of the University of California and Stanford, who were refused sales jobs or terminated based on their race or ethnicity.
“This agreement promises to transform this company, whose distinctiveness will no longer stem from an all-white image and workforce,” Thomas A. Saenz, Vice President of Litigation at MALDEF said.
The settlement requires the store to pursue “benchmarks” for the hiring and promotion of Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans and women; the company must report on its progress toward these goals at regular intervals to the plaintiffs’ attorneys and to a Special Master named by the court.
Robert Singer, President and Chief Operating Officer added, “Diversity and inclusion are core values for Abercrombie & Fitch. We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to diversity by implementing the elements of the consent decree.”
In addition, the company must hire 25 recruiters who will seek out minority employees. The company is barred from targeting particular fraternities or sororities for recruitment purposes, a practice that previously helped to ensure a predominantly white sales staff.
To ensure compliance with the provisions of the Consent Decree, the company will name a Vice President for Diversity, and provide diversity training for all employees with hiring authority. A new internal complaint procedure will provide employees with a mechanism to report any problems they face.
TESTIMONIALS
Eduardo Gonzalez, a Stanford student from Hayward, California, was pleased with the settlement. “I remember how discouraged I felt when I applied for a job at the Santa Clara store and the manager suggested that I work in the stock room or on the late night crew in a non-sales position. I felt it was because I was a Latino – but there was no one I could report this to at the time.”
Plaintiff Anthony Ocampo, a recent Stanford graduate, who was told he couldn’t be hired because “there’s already too many Filipinos,” agreed with Gonzalez. “It is important that Abercrombie seek out employees of color and provide them training and opportunities for promotion.”
Jennifer Lu worked at the Crystal Court Mall store in Costa Mesa, California for three years while she was a student at U.C. Irvine. “I was very distressed after I was terminated for being an Asian American woman. I am now very excited about the policies and programs Abercrombie must implement that came about as a result of this lawsuit. I am looking forward to seeing a more diverse Abercrombie; one that actually reflects the look of America,” said Lu.
“I felt demoralized being the only African American employee and being specifically assigned to dust the store, wash the windows and clean the floors,” Carla Grubb, an African American student at California State Bakersfield said. “With this settlement, I now know that Abercrombie cannot treat other employees of color in such a manner.”.
(via Business Wire)
{ 32 comments }
While shopping at Abercrombie, my boyfriend (a young attractive white male) has been approached on four separate occasions in three different stores, by Abercrombie sales clerks offering him a management position. He has never inquired about a job. The Abercrombie employees all approached him. It saddens me to know there are qualified candidates who are overlooked because they don’t have “the look.”
i just got a job there lets see how it goes as far as how i am treated
I was approached my a salesperson at an Abercrombie store yesterday and offered a job. I am an african american and I hope that my job offer was not based on the recent events.
Selective enforcement of the law=anti-white bias
Blacks and other minorities have predominantly or all-black clothing shops, that neither cater to nor hire whites. ANY ethnic group on Earth can have their own group: a “Mexican” restaurant, a “Chinese” restaurant. Except white people. By holding whites to a higher standard (forbidding “white clubs” or stores that cater to a predoiminantly white clientele), these lawsuits serve to destroy an entire culture, that will go the way of the passenger pigeon. How ironic, considering it was indeed this culture that instituted the rules of “fairness” to begin with.
As some have said, “Hooters” promotes a certain lifestyle and group, and so does Abercrombie. I don’t see anything wrong with that, as long as the store lets in whatever customers want to come in.
Anyone suing Skillz for having an all-black work force? NOOO!
Not everything is for everybody. Would ANF be sooooo popular if it weren’t for their marketing. ANF sells overpriced average quality merchandise to people that idolize the catalog models. Cultivate your mind and grow up, who wants to work retail clothing for their entire career anyway. And by the way, if I don’t start seeing some asian waiters in mexican restaurants I will have to pursue a lawsuit of my own since mexican food is one of the fastest growing in that industry.
i belive that as an employer then can hire who ever they wnat if they are quailfied but simply hireing people by just the way they look is wrong on the other hand if u want to look at the wrong bring done by them not hireing anyone but white young attractive males and females look at other stores the ppl selling their products look like the people most likely to buy their products for instance u never see anyone who just got done shopping at american egale go straight in to hot topic and go and buy stuff there be cause they sell things to two totally different type of people the reason ambercrombie does what it does is two try to attract the same kind of people that work at there store it is wrong what they are doing to a certain extent but think about it every store does that and they are just the only ones to get sued over it and so no one thinks i’m saying this because i’m white and i work there you are wrong i’m hispanic and i work at my family business
I work there. And i think the fact that they make fat/unnatractive people work there now, is rather annoying. That is not their target market group. There target market group is the people whom are thin and 5′5″. It’s the image and it shouldnt be bothered with. You wouldnt want to go into a surf shop and buy a board from a man with slicked back hair and a prada suit on, bc its not the image. dont you people get it? Selling clothing is ALL about “the look”. When i came back to work at AnF over winter break, after having been away at school, They had obvioulsy hired unnatractive people, we had always a few african americans who were very good looking. So that wasnt the issue, BUT there were numerous amounts of girls and guys that were rather homely and could hardly fit into the clothing. I dont even want to work there or wear the clothing anymore because of that. Its shallow, but the preppy athletic image is what AnF is all about. I would not be hired, as a white female, at a Phat Farm store, would i?
Rachel – grow up. Are we supposed to feel sorry for you b/c you are now subjected to work w/people that you deem as less worthy simply b/c they don’t look like you? Unless you aspire to make something more out of yourself than just a retail sales girl, you really need to re-evaluate what is important in life. Granted, it wouldn’t make sense for a non-surfer who knows nothing about surfing to work in a surf shop in a prada suit. But, what expertise do you need in order to work at anf? Someone who may have 5 extra pounds on them or looks different than the “norm” for that store can do the job just as well. However, based on your post, I feel that I’m talking to a teenager, and I refuse to waste my time on a narrow minded child any further. There are many teenagers out there with an open view of the world, you are obviously not a worldy person.
I CAN NOT believe what I’m reading here! This is absolutely ridiculous. This is a country brought up with no bias in their opinion. I’m not sure if any of you have any children, but, I believe if you did, you would retract these statements. What if your child was sent to a segregated school? What if the people that made certain bathrooms or busses, HINT HINT, only allowed certain people to utilize. This act is clearly bias and extremely racist. Yes I am Black. Half Black, and half Native American. I have a diverse circle of friends, and an open mind. Having a certain style is one thing, but being discriminated against because of something you were born with. Something you have no control over is bigotry. If you haven’t figured out, I am a former employee of A&F. I, personally, have seen the hiring procedure in action. I have seen people get turned away for more than just being of one nationality. Never the less, I believe it is somewhat a part of the criteria. You have to look a certain way(style, not color). The clothes are cut to fit a certain figure. A precise figure. It’s not a Big & Tall store, but being a little heavy doesn’t stop anyone from fitting into some of their clothes. Believe me. I’ve seen it done. But no one should be discriminated against because of their skin color. Some things I can see, some I can’t. Especially being a model too. You, as a model, are a human coat rack period. Your JOB is to make the clothes look appealing to buy. I have never seen a runway theme targeting a certain race. Styles, yes. Race, NEVER! That is wrong when it comes down to the color of skin. And yes I was discriminated against while I maintained a job there by the regional manager. I told everyone there. All of which I had to calm dawn because it made them mad. I have talked to former employees that I use to work with that were going to do the same thing as these two girls have done. I commend them for standing up against such a thing. People that stand up for what they believe is honorable. Also, I think there is nothing wrong with working at a clothing store. Especially if your in school (plug)Chelsea. I would actually love it considering I am a graphic artist. A part time job with 20% & 3-20% & 1-50% per quarter is great for clothes. As far as certain nationalities wearing the clothes. My friend, I saw so many nationalities in that store shopping. And yes, wearing the clothes. Imagine that? A diverse world. And as for the rest of the people on this chat board, I haven’t finish. Time is precious
I don’t really care if anf only wants to hire good looking and in good shaped young people, but if anf only wants to hire people who look like there white models then of course they just want to hire blonde haired blue eyed white people. Come on do you ever see a asian or hispanic model posters in there stores? Just walk into the store and look at all the employees they are of course all white blond haired blue eyed racist white people who looks at a minority person like they can’t afford there clothes.
I think that how anf is only hiring attractive white people is only angering other minorities and make them want to work in there even more.Being an Asian American i do find discrimination in there.Often I go in anf with my cousins and the white workers always look at us aquardly.The thing is we arnt some foby asians, so i dont know whats wrong with them.Looking in their catologs really do brain wash your mind and you eventually think its an honor to work in anf as an asian.I am sure once you start working there, you think your better than everyone else.For example i went into abercrombie right? and asked this guy to look in the back for my size.watching him…he went to talk with his co workers for 5 min and came back to me, saying their wasnt my size!wtf!he didnt even go and check in the stock room.Even though this angers me,i do see more asians working there.
abercrombie can hire whoever they want. some of you dont seem to understand that to keep the image that sells clothes, abercrombie must hire people that are good looking. when someone thinks abercrombie, they think good looking people. if abercrombie is pressured into lowering their criteria, they will go under. i can see that brian and rachel understand this, but some of the others posting need to think again. by following your suggestions, the next time i walk into a mall, i will see that every single store has exactly the same type of employees. no thanks, i would rather go to an authentic mexican restuarant and be served by a hispanic waiter. i would like to go to a computer store and be assisted in choosing a new mouse by a nerd. so suck it up and stop acting like everyone is suitable for every single job.
After reading many of your comments, I can only asume that many of you here are young (18-30 age range). Which means that none of you would remember the good old days when airlines hired stewardesses (yes-women only, no men) who had to fit a very specific mold. They had to look like models (thin, tall and pretty). Lawsuits later, you now have stewards, and stewardesses that look like anyone else in America’s workforce. Yes, ANF is trying to project an image in their stores – they specifically hire good looking, young adults. Which I can deal with, since that is an image they want to project. However, quite frankly, there are good looking people of ALL races that can project that same image. So what’s with the white thing – projecting a white image will sell more clothes? Sorry – I’m white, and I’m 48 years old (female), and my kids shop at ANF, not because they cater to whites, but because their clothes are cute and trendy. Also – by the way – looking at the horible spelling in many of your postings makes me wonder is we should start a class action lawsuit against the American school system…..hmmm….another great mass tort in the American system….!
I have been working at A&F for about 3 years. I have seen many people come and go on the roster, but not because of any reason but for being a poor worker. If it just happened to be a person of color it doesn’t matter, they were a bad worker. You don’t get fired for no reason. I received the “Gonzales V. A&F” class action suite paper work a couple months ago, which has made me interested in how these people were being treated. I have found that it’s not Abercrombie that is directly racist; it’s the managers saying this B.S. I read that a Manager said they had too many Filipinos, ummm yeah no District Manager or Corporate supervisor would ever tell a store manager to tell people that, it’s ridiculous. The problem is the assistant store managers, they are just being a little too cocky, and I’m not saying that the way all of them are, but there are defiantly a select few. I have noticed recently that we have more colored people working at our store, and feel great about it. But if I was them I would feel weird about working there because A&F was forced into hiring as many colored people as possible.
I have noticed that when I go into American eagle, they don’t have the best looking workers so they are over looked. But haven’t you noticed there are no colored people working there, HELLO!!!!! Jeez, so it’s ok to have almost all average looking white people. So why is it that A&F gets a bad rap because there just happens to be good-looking people. And plus, A&F workers are nothing special there are probably 8 gorgeous people at my store out of like 50!! Plus, the models in our ads are so “plain jane” there not even that hot, so what’s the big fuss about? It’s everyone’s own opinion. If I owned A&F I would much rather have good-looking people, of every race representing my brand. And people need to realize that A&F CAN’T HIRE EVERYONE, SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO NOT GET HIRED DON’T BLAME IT ON RACISM!!!! MAYBE THEY JUST DIDN’T LIKE YOU FOR YOU NOT YOUR COLOR OR MAYBE THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY OPENINGS AT THAT TIME.
Since we’re speaking about ANF, I guess I’ll speak on behalf of all the other people who have been discriminated by this company. I went into ANF on 4/21/05 and decided for the umpteenth time that I wanted some ANF pants. As I searched for what pants that I wanted to purchase I was approached by a “Black” sales associate who didn’t make her presence known by a “hello, how are you doing or greeting”. She continued to do whatever she was doing as I made my way to the back of the store to search for a different style of pants. As I was searching for my size, she made her way to the back of the store and startled me again!! This time I was fuming! So, I decided to play a game with her and I went back to the front of the store. She made her way back to the front of the store, but this time accompanied by a white male colleague of hers. Was this racial profiling by someone of my color? Was she hired to fill the quaota and do the dirty work a racial company? I was totally livid by her actions. I’m not only black, but very intelligent. I was dressed in my casual business clothes at the time, but because I’m black I was followed through out the store as if I could not afford these types of clothes. As I read most of these posts, I have to say that most of you sound like you’re in you teens or early 20’s. You’re still blinded by the fact that racial discrimination still exists! As long as there are human beings on this earth, it will still exists. Why does this American society places so much emphasis on materialistic bull****?!?! The same people who make ANF, makes Rocawear, FUBU, PhatFarm, GAP, etc. These are the people in third world countries who get paid maybe a few dollars a day to make these $80 jeans and shirts that probably costs $10 to make. So, are you saying that these people can’t work in ANF?? This question is for Rachel: Who are you to say if someone is attractive or unattractive? Does blonde or blue-eyed, 5′5″ mean attractive? Remember the same higher being that had you in his creative thoughts, made everyone else!!!
So, ANF and you need to try and make this society a better place.
I get ignored in A&F/Hollister too. But…I’m white, 5′5″ and wear size 0-2, blonde hair and light hazel eyes. Think I’m the A&F type? Wrong!!!!
I’m also 35 years old. The kids in there look at me like I’m ancient. 35!
One asked, “are you shopping for your daughter?”
I don’t have children.
I go in A&F once in a while because I like the cut of their Madison jeans.
You know, I actually remember when A&F was a clothing store for the sportsperson/outdoors-y person, not vacuous, materalistic, upper middle class, white, fraternity/sorority people.
I would LOVE to see Black people, Asian people, and Hispanic people emerge victorious in this.
And for A&F’s information; you can be a minority and still be “All American.”
I’m reading these comments and i keep hearing the same the same responces again and again. I have worked at Hollister for about 3 years (when it first opened) and it is a company owned by AnF. When i first started all female brand-reps were required to wear bathing suit tops and short demin skirts to reflect the California style. To be completely honest, everyone was good looking, tan, and in shape. We are SELLING a brand, and it is all about the business. Through out these past 3 years, i have seen so many employees come an go because they wernt getting any hours or because they werent on the schedule at all. Not because they werent good looking, but because they DIDNT work. Now, speaking of this whole lawsuit squable, i also recieved pamphlets in the mail about it, and im glad to see actions taking place due to it. I have noticed that in my store particularly they have hired very good looking african americans, hispanics, and even arabs. Again, good looking people SELL. It dosent matter what race you are, its a business, whether you agree with me or not, its not the good looking people that sell the brand, its the clothes they are in that make them look good!
OMG! I didn’t even know this was an issue. I’m Asian and shop at A&F every weekend and am treated VERY VERY good. I live in Washington and there are not a lot of minorities here at all, so he people that work at the store I go to re all white. What’s the problem with that? They didn’t indicate an racial discrimination against me at all. Also, I was offered a job there and I’m Asian!!!! I just think it’s ridiculous how people’s mind are so narrow. I mean just because you weren’t hired and coincidentally you aren’t white doesn’t mean Abercrombie’s racist. Please.
we’ll I am doing an essay of how A&F are having problems. I think it is so wrong of what they are doing. They shouldn’t just be hiring white people. They do hire mexican, blacks, ans etc.. but they have them work in the back of the store where u can’t see them. That is horrible. I am white, tall skinny, and almost 16 but it doesn’t matter I wouldn’t want to work their because of what there doing. There is so many beautiful people that aren’t white and they should be hired. I think they should change it. It is upseting to so many others and I really don’t blame people for wanting to have a law suit with A&F. I shop at hollister and that but not A&F. It is way to expensive their. It’s crazy. We need to do something about this descrimination.
we’ll I am doing an essay of how A&F are having problems. I think it is so wrong of what they are doing. They shouldn’t just be hiring white people. They do hire mexican, blacks, ans etc.. but they have them work in the back of the store where u can’t see them. That is horrible. I am white, tall skinny, and almost 16 but it doesn’t matter I wouldn’t want to work their because of what there doing. There is so many beautiful people that aren’t white and they should be hired. I think they should change it. It is upseting to so many others and I really don’t blame people for wanting to have a law suit with A&F. I shop at hollister and that but not A&F. It is way to expensive their. It’s crazy. We need to do something about this descrimination.
Some of you people just dont get it! Why dont some of you get over the fact that we do hire good looking people. If a skinny pretty model like looking girl walked into a hard wear store, do you think she would get the job? NO! Not every job is for everyone, some of you need to stop complaining and get over it. And if you dont work there, then dont act like you know everything about the company, because its obvious that you dont!
Just a quick comment to Rachel: One day your metabolic rate will slow when you’re twenty-five, and as your body visibly responds to certain foods (see: weight gain), you will become, in your eyes, a fat and unattractive person. If you don’t want to eat your words, too, I suggest expanding your mind and like Chelsea says, reevaluate what is important in life. In the end, what really carries ‘weight’?
My opening question is “What is attractive?” Not trying to be mean, but nothing is attractive to me about seeing somebody’s wide wasted midriff stuffed into low-rise pants whether she’s a 0, 4, or 8. This has turned from an incident that is culturally sensitive to a situation that is being drowned in misconceptions & sterotypes. Americans get bad service everywhere, but in this case it was a recurring chain of similar events. As far as placing stigma’s on a whole race of people…that is uncalled for. There are unattractive/attractive White, Black, Chinese, Asian and most races of people. Just as there are hardworkers/lazy, intelligent, educated/uneducated and many other characteristics of people in every race. As far as the “Califonia” look that keeps getting brought up. I’ve been to California several times and that aint it. A&F is attempting to create a style just as many other stores do and trust me they are going about it the wrong way. So anybody that thinks that is what people from Cali look like go visit, Califonia is practically as diverse as Louisiana. The incidents that led up to the lawsuit and all of these threads that have been posted all consist of small minded examples that have led to what is going on now. Things like this happen when the wrong person is in the right place to cause trouble. If people were confident and strong minded they wouldn’t need a store or it’s brand of clothes to determine their way of life. This is a shame. Although it started with A&F, it won’t end with A&F or the lawsuit. It’s much much bigger than this.
I agree that ANF does hire good looking people to “man” the store area – I think you readers are all intelligent and know why. You don’t see average or ugly people in any marketing or sales do you? Marketing is designed to sell – and in the “clothing industry” which does have something to do with how we “look” it is smart to hire people with looks – the ANF in my area has a good mix of White, Hispanic, Asian and Black sales clerks and they are all above average looking.
Society has become too “touchy” – concentrate on improving yourself and finding the right nich for yourself instead of jumping on the “lawsuit” wagon. The legal system is ruining this country right as we speak and we are too blind to see it!
The other day on tv i saw a commercial advertising “Hooters”. I couldnt help but compair what they do with their business and what we do with ours. Why don’t some of you complain to them???!! Have you ever seen a FAT ugly Hooters girl??i dont think so! They refurred to the girls as “Americas Cheerleaders”. Again, thats a business too, they are known for that more then the wings… do you think that brings business to that company? YES! Thats all A&f and its other companies are trying to do too. They are successful, and will continue to be sucsessful regardless of what some of you people have to say about it. This company is run by young people in their 20’s and they are doing a pretty damn good job considering ita a multi million dollar business. So get over it.
You know, I read some of the posts here and one of my ‘black’ friends inquired me about my fettish for ‘abercrombie.’ I love clothes and i adore shopping. I consider myself an attractive 5′5″ black female, weighing about 122 lbs. That, I’m assuming is a target figure for their clothing…o.k.o.k. maybe a few lbs over, lol but you get the point.
My point is that I love clothes that fit my body in the right places. I wanted to research a bit. Now, that I read some of the suits and discrimination stuff it saddens me. But, as the girl said it hey if thats the audience this store goes for then so be it. I also worked for Hooters for 5 years and loved it. I understood the target group and the customers. If people complain about the wrongdoing we need to make more noise because it looks like it is just getting bigger and aimed at lower age groups.
This is probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever encountered. Do you know how pathetic you Abercrombie people are? Wow. Not only are there billions of corporations telling us what to look, dress, and act like but now, It’s becoming impossible to get a job if you are a cretin way. I feel sorry for all the white preppy, never will be unique type that work there because well you probably only got the job because the other people who applied where a different ethnicity. You should feel ashamed. I mean, most probably the only reason we are like this is because our “Country” is force-feeding all these horrific ideas into our minds from Televisions Magazines, Billboards ext. So by saying that every brand has its own type means that only “white, tan, tall, built” people should work there? So that’s just going to make you loose costumers cause our country is filled with immigrants from many places coming to American because it’s different and is known as a “free country.” By discrimination shows that everything we’ve worked up to the past thousand years goes down to the dumps. So maybe if you had different kinds of people working there, with all different body types, color, and race then it will bring in more costumers and it will show that wow Abercrombie isn’t only for the white surfer type, it works for all and will look good on everyone, but I guess that doesn’t work because you’ve tried it, right?
you know what, i think that all this argument stuff is nonsense. abercrombie isnt discriminating anyone at all, it you who chose to let it discriminate you. if you want to wear abercrombie then go right ahead, if you do not, then dont.
about have “the abercrombie look”, if abercrombie associated chose to be that way and only pick people with “the look” so be it. there missing out on beautiful people who have theie own unique look.
I’m black and i go to AF all the time there nice to me but I nver seen an Asian mexican or black working there…and whites are minorities too…not just blacks asians and latinos…duh…if you don’t like how they run there store then don’t shop there it’s that simple.
Im currently a brand-rep for Abercrombie & Fitch. Although the court ordered ANF to hire more ethnicities, they still continue to place them in the back. Now gays, and minorities have a job title, theyr part of the “Impact Team”. Yes Abercrombie hires minorities, but still continue to place a majority of minorities in the back. My patience with the company is wearing thin, the management is horrible.
I think it depends on the store and the individual. I was recruited to work at the Pentagon City A&F two years ago and quit very, very soon after. The manager was sleazy and always saying really inappropriate things (I mean, I’m a college girl, I’m used to crap like that, but come on. You’re a manager and 10 years older than me. Back off), plus it was just a waste of time. Then, over this summer, I was asked to work at my hometown A&F in Charleston, WV. I turned them down bc I was working in D.C. for the summer, but when I came back I went in and said, “I’ll be home for a week. Can I still get the job?” And surprisingly, they said, “Of course, dollface”. So I only work on holidays, get the discount, AND my co-workers are all really fun. I’m Korean, by the way, but adopted…so some might call me “whitewashed”. I don’t care. I am who I am. My Filipina friend also works there, and there are other people of different ethnicities working there, too. It’s diverse, fun, and I love the discounts.
i think that they only hire people to work there if they are good looking. bu ti also think that they are starting to change and letrting asians work there
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