Abercrombie & Fitch fined for refusing to let teen help autistic sister

[christiangirl]

^^I agree with DP. It's horrible that A&F employees don't have enough sense to know which battles to pick. They should've taken the family at their word and let it go. Requesting medical records was unnecessary and an interview with a psychologist was ludicrous. The "risk" of losing merchandise or a young woman's dignity--not really a hard choice.

However: "She was singled out and required to hear her sister and mother repeatedly ask for accommodations based on her disability, in front of a long line of customers, at a store that markets itself to young people as a purveyor of a particularly desirable 'look.'" Okay, I get it. But really was having your mother make a spectacle of you in a dressing room worth $115,000+ of humiliation? Was upholding a company policy without written proof that you should do otherwise (and not get canned if it turns out they stole something) really worth that much? They should've apologized as soon as they realized they'd made the mistake and it's good that they're investing in staff education, but I can't help but feel the punishment is ill-fitting.

ETA: And yes, I understand that the girl does not get that entire sum but even $25,000 seems over the top. I think DHS really just tried to hit them in the pockets to prove a point.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

Requesting medical records was unnecessary and an interview with a psychologist was ludicrous.

Again, they did not "request" medical records or "request" an interview with a psychologist. After the Minnesota Department of Human Rights sued A&F, A&F, in order to defend the lawsuit, hired a psychologist to evaluate the girl as part of the discovery process. From a litigation standpoint, that's not at all surprising or out of the ordinary. (Though why A&F let this get as far as litigation is beyond me.)

I don't mind A&F bashing, but it'd be nice to keep the bashing grounded in facts.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Again, they did not "request" medical records or "request" an interview with a psychologist. After the Minnesota Department of Human Rights sued A&F, A&F, in order to defend the lawsuit, hired a psychologist to evaluate the girl as part of the discovery process. From a litigation standpoint, that's not at all surprising or out of the ordinary. (Though why A&F let this get as far as litigation is beyond me.)

I don't mind A&F bashing, but it'd be nice to keep the bashing grounded in facts.

Yeah - it actually would have been "ludicrous" for A&F to not have an independent evaluation once the lawsuit was initiated ... I mean, it's completely insane to think they'll simply take the family's word at it when they're facing down pretty series accusations.

The family's (apparent and purported) interest in fighting against similar discrimination against those with autism comes with a price, and part of that price is proving that their daughter does indeed fall within the autism spectrum as they've claimed.