Barneys Just Agreed to Pay $45,000 to a Customer It Racially Profiled

Picture this: You've just made a purchase at Barneys — that silver-buckled Ferragamo belt you've been eyeing for a while — when undercover cops approach you, saying your debit card isn't real. They arrest you, detain you, and accuse you of a crime you didn't commit, asking questions such as "How could you afford a belt like this?" and "Where did you get this money from?"

Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, that's exactly what happened to black college student Trayon Christian back in 2013, causing him to file and now settle a lawsuit against the store, claiming his civil rights were violated. Barneys is set to pay Christian $45,000, which is a somewhat small price to pay considering his whole (and no doubt traumatic) experience. The store also agreed to pay $525,000 in fines back in 2014, promising to hire an antiprofiling consultant and retrain its employees.