A video uploaded to Facebook shows the moment when six Australian teens were denied entry to an Apple store and told to leave because staff and security were worried they "might steal something."
According to The Guardian, all six teens were met by an Apple staff member and two security guards Tuesday as they tried to enter the store. The video shows a man wearing a gray T-shirt with the Apple logo telling the students, "These guys [security guards] are just a bit worried about your presence in our store. They're just worried you might steal something."
One of the teens replies: "Why would we steal something?"
To which the employee replies: "End of discussion; I need to ask you to leave."
Mabior Ater, one of the students evicted from the store, told the Sydney Morning Herald that he has been going to the shopping center where the store is located for some time and was shocked at what happened. "I never thought something like this would happen … of course I was offended," he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, the young men, who attend Maribyrnong College, a secondary school in Melbourne, returned to the store with their principal, Nick Scott, seeking answers and an apology. According to the Morning Herald, a senior manager met with the group and apologized.
"She apologized to us and told us that we are welcome here anytime," Mabior Ater said. "It feels like we have justice now."
An Apple spokesperson emailed the following statement:
"Inclusion and diversity are among Apple's core values. We believe in equality for everyone, regardless of race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. That applies throughout our company, around the world with no exceptions. We’ve looked into the details of the situation and we apologize to the customers involved. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure all our customers are treated the way they should be."
Read more at The Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald.