VAN NUYS (CNS) - A black Air Force veteran and Best Buy Co. Inc. settled the man's lawsuit alleging he was subjected to racial comments and spat upon by employees during visits to the Sherman Oaks store.
Andre Bogan's Van Nuys Superior Court lawsuit was filed in April 2017 and alleged assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil rights violations. He sought unspecified damages and a court order directing Best Buy employees to cease their alleged discriminatory conduct when Bogan shops there.
Bogan's attorneys filed court papers last month with Judge Michael Convey stating the case was resolved, but no terms were divulged.
Lawyers for Best Buy maintained in their court papers that Bogan's claims lacked merit and that many of the incidents his lawsuit cited were barred by the statute of limitations.
The suit stated that Bogan suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of his military service. He also has medical problems with his spine and knee and additionally has rheumatoid arthritis, the suit stated.
Bogan is an avid collector of DVDs and other film media and has shopped at Best Buy for years, according to the complaint. He says he was assaulted by a Best Buy employee at the Sherman Oaks store in June 2014 and a week later an employee used the loudspeaker to say, ``The big black dude is here. Check his bag. He stole something,'' the suit alleged.
While checking out, the store manager said she needed to check Bogan's bag, telling him, ``Your people steal a lot, so I need to check your bag,'' the suit stated.
The manager, identified in the complaint only as Angie Doe, also is a defendant in the case. Bogan has never stolen anything from Best Buy and spends most of his extra money at the store, the suit stated.
The incident prompted Bogan to stay away from the store for a while because of the trauma he suffered, but he eventually returned because it is the location most accessible to him, the suit stated. He visited without any problems for a few months, but in April 2015 employees there accused him of wrongfully using the stall for the disabled in the men's room, the suit stated.
One of the employees spat on Bogan, the suit alleges.
Bogan is legally permitted to use accommodations for disabled people, the suit stated.