Via Jason Kottke:
The new Cincinnati Mills mall has been open less than a week but is already generating controversy.
A Miami University student says he and his friends were unfairly targeted for their dress and color, but the mall says everyone is treated equally.
Security guards at the mall are handing out yellow code of conduct slips to anyone who doesn’t pass “their” test when it comes to dress and behavior.
Mall officials and police say they have the policy in place to avoid problems of the past with unruly teenagers.
“He said i should wear it like this and that I could not wear it low or to the side. It would have to be straight back or straight forward.”
Miami University sophomore Donnie Jefferson says he was targeted by Cincinnati Mills security because of the way he wore his hat, two different times, and handed a yellow code of conduct slip each time.
He says things went even further with eight of his friends all wearing white t-shirts and jeans.
“They made them break up and then they were escorted out,” said Jefferson.
“I didn’t see them talking to any white teenagers and they were definitely there. They were only targetting black youth.”
But mall management says everyone is treated equally and the rules that include no groups larger than 3 and no clothing that’s likely to provoke a disturbance is there to provide a safe shopping experience.
Holy crap. Rules on how you wear a cap, and the prohibition of the right to assemble. Holy crap.
