Wet Seal sued by ex-managers for alleged racial bias

July 12, 2012|Jonathan Stempel | Reuters

(Reuters) – Wet Seal Inc has been sued by three former employees who accused it of discriminating against black store managers because they did not fit the image the U.S. retailer, which sells clothes for young women, wanted to convey.

According to a complaint filed Thursday in a federal court in Santa Ana, California, “the most senior executives” of Wet Seal adopted a “policy and practice” of discriminating against black store managers at Wet Seal and Arden B stores from at least 2008 because those workers did not fit its “brand image.”

Wet Seal in a statement said it is an equal opportunity employer with a diverse workforce.

Wet Seal sued by ex-managers for alleged racial bias