Racist Store Manager Kicks Black Family Out on Christmas Eve — Dad's the District Attorney, $18M

When luxury store manager Leonard Whitmore racially profiled a Black family shopping for Christmas gifts, he had no idea the father was Marcus Caldwell, District Attorney for King County. What happened next led to the largest retail discrimination settlement in Washington history and the complete destruction of a 47-year company. This is the story of how one act of racism cost $18 million and bankrupted an entire retail chain.
Marcus Caldwell, his wife Dr. Nicole Caldwell, and their 7-year-old daughter Amara were Christmas shopping at Prestige & Co. when manager Leonard Whitmore decided they "didn't belong" — despite having receipts, a cart full of merchandise, and every right to be there. The racist confrontation that followed, captured on video by multiple witnesses, exposed a disturbing pattern: Whitmore had racially profiled Black customers 14 times over 11 years, and the company kept him employed because he generated profits.
The $18 million settlement broke the company. Prestige & Co. closed all 23 locations, filed for bankruptcy, and 1,847 employees lost their jobs — all because corporate executives chose profits over basic human dignity.
📌 VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Cold Open: The Christmas Eve Confrontation
03:12 - The Full Story Behind the Incident
06:45 - Who Are the Caldwells? (Victim Background)
11:20 - Leonard Whitmore's 14-Incident History
16:30 - The Viral Videos & Public Outrage
19:45 - The $18M Lawsuit & Settlement
23:10 - Prestige & Co. Files for Bankruptcy
25:40 - District Attorney's Powerful Testimony
28:50 - Final Thoughts on Systemic Change
🔍 KEY TOPICS:
Retail discrimination, racial profiling, shopping while Black, civil rights lawsuit, Washington retail discrimination, luxury store racism, District Attorney discrimination case, corporate accountability, systemic racism in retail, wrongful treatment settlement
This case proves that racism isn't just morally wrong — it's financially devastating. When companies enable discriminatory employees for the sake of profits, they risk losing everything.
💬 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Should managers with patterns of discrimination face automatic termination?
Do businesses deserve to close for enabling systemic racism?
What reforms would prevent these incidents?

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