CVS Fires Manager for Calling Cops on Black Woman Using ‘Fraudulent’ Coupon
A gay CVS manager lost his job last week after a video of him calling the police on a black customer went viral.
Camilla Hudson says she attempted to use a coupon she received in the mail at a CVS on North Broadway in Chicago on Friday. But manager Morry Matson refused to give her the discount, claiming the coupon was “fraudulent.”
According to Hudson, the incident escalated until Matson and another manager tried to throw her out of the store, slamming a door in her face and, ultimately, calling the police twice. In a video recorded by Hudson, a trembling Matson describes her an African-American, to which she replied, “I’m black. Black isn’t a bad word.”
Hudson says three officers came to the store but took no action. In a statement, the Chicago Police Department confirmed officers responded to a call of an “assault in progress” at the store. “Police were informed that a female was inside the store threatening the staff and refusing to leave,” the statement said, adding that the “victim did not press charges and no police report was filed.”
Hudson posted the video of Matson’s call, as well as a photo of the coupon and the address of the store, to Facebook.
On Saturday, Hudson wrote that the video had been removed from the social media site and that she had been put in “Facebook jail.” (Her account has since been restored.)
In a statement to USA Today, CVS said Matson and the other manager had been fired.
“CVS Health does not tolerate any practices that discriminate against any customer and we are committed to maintaining a welcoming and diverse environment in our stores,” said CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis. “We have firm non-discrimination policies in place to help ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity. Profiling or any other type of discriminatory behavior is strictly prohibited.”
A state delegate for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Matson is president of the Illinois Log Cabin Republicans. He is currently running for Chicago City Council.
