Air Force Vet Sues Best Buy, Says Employees Made Racial Comments, Spat On Him

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A black Air Force veteran says he was racially harassed and spat upon by employees at a Best Buy store in Sherman Oaks, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.

Andre Bogan alleges in the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that he was assaulted by a Best Buy employee at the store in June 2014, and a week later an employee used the loudspeaker to say, "The big black dude is here. Check his bag. He stole something."

While checking out, the store manager is said to have told Bogan she needed to check his bag, saying, "Your people steal a lot, so I need to check your bag," according to the suit.

The manager, identified in the complaint only as Angie Doe, also is a defendant in the case.

Bogan says the 2014 incident kept him away from the store, but during a return visit in April 2015, employees accused him of using a disabled stall in the men's restroom, the suit states. That's when Bogan alleges one of the employees spat on him.

According to the suit, Bogan - who says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of his military service, along with other medical problems - is legally permitted to use accommodations for disabled people.

A Best Buy representative could not be immediately reached for comment.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)