Staples employee sues Sherri Shepherd for slander after she accused woman of 'racial profiling'

Sherri Shepherd at BMI’s 2014 Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
Sherri Shepherd at BMI’s 2014 Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

Sherri Shepherd is a defendant in a lawsuit because she accused a woman of “racial profiling” earlier this year, according to People.

The former co-host of The View is being sued for slander by Janice Reyes, a former cashier at Staples, who was fired after Shepherd shared on Instagram Stories that she and a friend had been denied the use of the store’s restroom and that the employee was “racial profiling” the comedian.

Shepherd and her friend were told that the restrooms were closed and they would have to go to a nearby store. She said that another employee gave her the combination for the restroom and that they were, in fact, open for customer use. She also claims that Reyes used foul language during the interaction.

Just got cursed out by a cashier @staples at 4641 Santa Monica Blvd in LA. My girlfriend @kimrtavares & I were there to get supplies for a seminar when Kim asked where was their restroom & we were told they were broken and we needed t go to @riteaid – Kim walked over to #RiteAid but their bathroom was in use so she came back to #Staples. Another employee gave us the combination to their #bathroom which worked fine. When questions The manager (Edgar) said the cashier Janice Reyes May have said it bc the bathrooms needed to be cleaned. They were clean and working bc I used it. When I questioned Miss Reyes on why she said that at first she wouldn’t answer and then said “we are told to tell people if they don’t buy they can’t use our bathroom” when I said well we were customers – you should have stated your policy instead of lying, Ms Reyes starts screaming “I am not going to take this shit. I am not going to take this fucking shit!” And she storms off but not before it got heated w Kim. #Staples this treatment by an employee is unacceptable. It was embarrassing – and had I had my son Jeffrey w me it would’ve been a different situation. Your employees are participating in racial profiling. I will take my business to @amazon or @OfficeDepot where customer service is better . Miss Reyes May be going through personal issues but if she is, then she should be doing something else at Staples rather than dealing with customers. And the fact that none of the employees did anything? It should be on their cameras. #unacceptable #pleaseshare #amazon #officedepot #oncamera #blackhistorymonth #injusticia #injustices #kimtavares #saynotoracism

A post shared by Sherri (@sherrieshepherd) on Feb 1, 2018 at 12:25pm PST

Shepherd wrote on her Instagram, “When I questioned Miss Reyes on why she said that at first she wouldn’t answer and then said ‘we are told to tell people if they don’t buy they can’t use our bathroom’ when I said well we were customers — you should have stated your policy instead of lying, Ms Reyes starts screaming ‘I am not going to take this s***. I am not going to take this f***ng s***!’ And she storms off but not before it got heated w Kim”

Shepherd also posted the story on Twitter, where Staples responded and asked which store Shepherd had visited.

Shepherd shared her experience at Staples on Twitter. (Photo: Twitter)
Shepherd shared her experience at Staples on Twitter. (Photo: Twitter)

According to the lawsuit, Reyes claims the three did shout at the register but that she was the victim of Shepherd and her friend’s anger. Staples investigated after Shepherd shared the incident, and Reyes was fired five days later, on Feb. 6.

Reyes also filed a suit for slander and invasion of privacy against CBS Television after Inside Edition and local network affiliates shared Shepherd’s story, as well as the Wendy Williams Show and BET. According to Reyes, the networks failed to retract their stories after she contacted them.

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