Staples manager fired after wrongly accusing pregnant woman of stealing
PINEVILLE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) - The manager who accused a pregnant Pineville woman of shoplifting is now out of a job.
It's a story that's gone viral. Sherell Bates, who is 34 weeks pregnant with twins, was buying school supplies at the Staples store in Pineville when she was confronted for stealing.
"What's under your shirt?" a police officer asked her.
This all started after a store manager assumed she was stealing and stuffing items under her shirt. The manager asked an officer in the store to investigate.
Bates tells FOX 46 Charlotte she even had to lift up her shirt to prove she is pregnant. On Monday, Staples released a statement:
"As a result of this finding, the manager has been terminated and Staples has apologized to the customer. At Staples, we want all customers to feel welcome in our stores, and work with our associates to foster an inclusive culture. As an organization, we would like to apologize to the customer as that was not the case in this instance."