DENVER—An agency that investigates discrimination claims says Safeway employees accused a teenager of stealing because he is black.
The Denver Anti-Discrimination Office says there is reasonable cause to believe Safeway engaged in racial profiling when workers searched and detained 18-year-old Brandon Anderson-Thayer last year.
His attorney says the agency’s findings clear the way for a civil lawsuit.
Safeway denies the allegation and will fight any claim.
The Anti-Discrimination Office says a Safeway manager accused Anderson-Thayer and two of his friends of stealing simply because they “looked suspicious.” One of Anderson-Thayer’s friends is also black and the other is a Pacific Islander.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
