Fired Bloomingdale’s employee sues over alleged discrimination

A woman of Korean descent is suing Bloomingdale's and L’Oreal USA, alleging discrimination and negligent misrepresentation.

Hye Sun Kang, who goes by Jennifer, was a sales associate at the L’Oreal counter at Bloomingdale’s flagship store in New York City.

Without any warning, her lawsuit said, she was detained by store security and accused of conspiring with and aiding a Chinese client in using fraudulent credit cards and forced to sign a written statement that she had violated company policy.

Upon exiting the room, she was immediately confronted by NYPD who arrested, charged and processed her, and she spent the night in a prison holding cell, according to Kang's lawyer, J. John Kim of Pashman Stein.

Bloomingdale’s, in court papers, has denied the allegations.

According to the lawsuit, Kang, who had no prior criminal history, spent 12 hours at Riker’s Island before the DA ultimately dropped all charges. Kang was fired from her job and has what her attorneys called an unjustified arrest on her record.

Kang said she feels that she was singled out and targeted because of her Asian descent. Her co-workers, who also sold products to the same Chinese client, were not questioned, arrested or fired, the lawsuit said.

She is seeking damages against both L’Oreal and Bloomingdale's.

Editor’s note: Hye Sun Kang’s initial complaint also accused Bloomingdale’s and L’Oreal USA of false Imprisonment. That allegation was removed from a subsequent complaint.