I am writing to detail my shopping experience at the Modesto Sprouts Farmers Market location on May 2, 2026. On that day during my visit, an-store employee engaged in conduct that is considered to be racial profiling towards and discrimination against me at the Sprouts located on McHenry Avenue in Modesto, California. This violation of my civil rights occurred in the personal care items section.
I was shopping in the first personal items aisle when an employee almost immediately came to the aisle and stood within three feet of me as she rearranged every product that could be found on both my right side for four to five minutes and my left side for the same amount of time. Nearly ten minutes passed before the employee left for the very next (second) aisle.
By contrast, in the second personal items aisle was a customer - that look completely opposite of me - whom I alerted about her car's front left headlight being out in the parking before I entered the store. I was still in search of Castille soap so I went to the second aisle. The employee was there, but she neither stood next to nor stood nearby the other customer as she rearranged store items; in fact, the employee was working opposite of (and much further away from) where the other customer was standing. The employee witnessed the other customer walk past and thanked me once again for alerting her about the car's headlight; right afterwards and only then did the employee ask me if I needed help in finding a product. I got what I was looking for and left to purchase the product. Before I went inside the store, the clerk was nowhere near the personal product aisles.
As there are surveillance cameras all over Sprouts Farmers Market, there is absolutely NO reason for any store employee to be profiling me. I did not know the employee's name. I documented the entire incident and mentioned that the video surveillance footage would demonstrate the employee's actions on May 2nd. I brought the issue to the company's attention in a letter I sent via Certified Mail on May 4th; however, they ignored it so on June 9th, I sent a letter via Certified Mail to Sprouts headquarters in Phoenix. They received these documents. I attempted to resolve the incident of discrimination with corporate management, but my complaints were totally ignored.
Until May 2nd, I patronized Modesto Sprouts for many years and I certainly did NOT appreciate an employee treating me as if I were a thief for no other reason than my race. California's Unruh Civil Rights Act states that it is illegal for a business to discriminate against a customer because of race, gender, disability, religion, citizenship, or other personal characteristics. I - like everyone else - have the right to patronize a place of business without being scrutinized, profiled and thereby discriminated against due to my race. The discriminatory treatment was totally unacceptable yet the company chose to ignore my complaints, which demonstrated their willingness to ignore the May 2nd violation of my civil rights as a patron. I post this review to make other customers and would-be customers aware of my recent experience that went unresolved by those with the authority to take corrective measures to make things right yet chose not to do so. read more