CVS Health is the latest company to fend off charges of racism.
The Woonsocket-based pharmacy chain said in a statement Monday that two CVS shift supervisors in Chicago who challenged a black customer over a coupon are no longer employed with the company,
The customer, Camilla Hudson, recorded a cell phone video of a CVS supervisor calling police at about 11:30 p.m. last Friday after a dispute over a coupon that he suspected was fraudulent. During the call, when the white supervisor describes Hudson as African American she can be heard responding, “Black. No, I’m not African American. I’m black. Black isn’t a bad word.”
Racism charges flared on social media. The supervisor has been active with Illinois’ Log Cabin Republicans, a group that represents LGBT conservatives. In a statement, CVS said that discriminatory behavior is strictly prohibited.
The full statement CVS released Monday reads:
We have sincerely apologized to Ms. Hudson for her experience in one of our Chicago stores. Our Region Director in Chicago contacted her as soon as we were made aware of this incident.
We have completed our investigation, and as a result the two colleagues who were involved are no longer employed by CVS Health.
CVS Pharmacy does not tolerate any practices that discriminate against any customer and we are committed to maintaining a welcoming and diverse environment in our stores. We have firm non-discrimination policies in place to help ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity. Profiling or any other type of discriminatory behavior is strictly prohibited
