Abercrombie and Fitch to pay fine for refusing to accommodate autistic girl

10 Sep

Accommodations. They don’t have to be big, but they can make a big difference.

Case in point: a 14 year old autistic girl needed help in a dressing room. The store claimed a policy that only one person can be in a dressing room at a time. Surely this policy could be waived in this case?

Such is the case that was recently decided in Minnesota. A local outlet for the Retailer Abercrombie and Fitch refused to allow an autistic girl to bring her sister with her into a fitting room.

According to Minnesota Public Radio
, the store wasn’t even following its own policy:

The company’s associate handbook states that only one person is allowed in a fitting room at a time, but adds, “Some exceptions to this rule include parents with their kids and a disabled person’s assistant.” The company designed the policy to reduce theft.

Abercrombie and Fitch has been fined $115,264. Of this, $25,000 will go to the girl for mental anguish. About $41,000 will go to her lawyers.

3 Responses to “Abercrombie and Fitch to pay fine for refusing to accommodate autistic girl”

  1. Clay September 10, 2009 at 23:56 #

    An upscale lesson for upscale Abercrombie and Fitch. Yay, teach them all, one by one.

  2. Sullivan September 22, 2009 at 04:17 #

    Update–

    they lost their appeal due to neglecting to send documents via certified mail:

    http://www.startribune.com/local/60090427.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUncacyi8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

    Abercrombie & Fitch’s appeal of a $115,264 fine for discriminating against a disabled teenage customer was thrown out last week because the company failed to send a document by certified mail.

    Too bad. I was looking forward to a scathing decision from the appeals judge.

  3. linex123 December 2, 2010 at 12:13 #

    Four years after Abercrombie & Fitch refused to let a teenager help her autistic sister try on clothes at its Mall of America store, state officials have fined the company $115,264 for discriminating against a disabled person.

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