Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Wisconsin

I am being harassed by security and staff at a department store. For some reason I have been marked as a suspect. I really don't know why this has happened and it has been going on literally for years! I asked a couple lawyer friends what I should do and they both made the same suggestions: 1) Take someone with me to meet with the store manager or 2) just stop shopping there. I have a problem with both of those suggestions. If I met with management I don't believe they would take my word for it that I have done nothing wrong and their whole "surveillance" operation would go underground. And as for the latter suggestion, I REFUSE to limit where I can shop based on some bull crap like this! I really see this as a civil liberties issue because now I don't feel I have the freedom to shop anonymously at that store or others. As a result I feel I'm being watched wherever I shop and always notice security and security cameras. And when you know you're being watched you tend to watch back which may make me look suspicious in other places too! And now it has gone beyond that one store location. People at that store rotate locations and they remember my face now I've been marked at the other locations too and am subjected to the sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle harassment. And now it's gone beyond that because at least one of the employees also works at a grocery store and now THEY have marked me there too!! Not because of anything I�ve done, but because of word of mouth. So what can I do about this nonsense that has gone ridiculously viral? I naively believed that this would go away but it's only gotten worse. I want to file a harassment suit against them but I don't know what my options are or how to proceed. But if there's a way to resolve this w/o a lawsuit where I'm satisfied that the dogs have been called off I'd appreciate that info too. This has gotten so old and ridiculous! Help!!!


Asked on 3/26/10, 2:53 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Jonathan Safran Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C.

I would agree with the lawyer who suggested taking someone with you to meet with and discuss this with the store manager. I am not sure how you are going to prove your allegations. I am not sure what you mean when you say you are being "harasssed by security and staff." It sounds to me as though you believe that you are being "watched," but you have not indicated what harassment you have experienced, so it is difficult for me to give you a more detailed suggestion. Please be aware that there are statutes of limitations time periods which may impact your pursuing a claim for damages, if you are able to prove the damages, so I would suggest that you discuss your harassment allegations and damages suggestions with an attorney in order to review the allegations and damages in more detail.

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Answered on 3/31/10, 7:06 am


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