Local News - Discrimination Lawsuit Filed Against Winn-Dixie

If I owned two stores and both accept checks.
Store #1 gets 1% bounced checks
Store #2 gets 15% bounced checks

So, I tell store #2 not to accept any more checks.

Am I discriminating? YES

Is it RACIAL discrimination? NO

People in certain places have, what they consider, acceptable practices. I know, I work with some who think bouncing a check is a necessity "once in a while, like when I just gotta have those shoes." HUH?

Businesses have to protect themselves. I agree with Winn Dixie

I too support Winn-Dixie if the decision is based on sound credit judgment. No different than a taxi driver who will not pick up a ride in a high crime black neighborhood. Self preservation not discrimination.

Check bouncing is not acceptable by any business because of the long legal process which most are never collected due to Sheriff staffing requirements (time). If the percentage of 'returned insufficient funds' in a particular neighborhood then not accepting checks is justifiable. I agree with Winn Dixie.

I agree with Winn Dixie, also, though I'm sure Sharpton and Jackson will be involved shortly and calling for a boycott of all Winn Dixie's, which is ok, I will be spending less time in the check out lane.

There may be a minor racial component to this story when you consider that the store that denies this particular kind of check writing is located in a black neighborhood. However, I agree with the first post. Why would a business continue to accept checks in a store that has a high percentage of bounced checks, regardless of where the store is located? I admit that we are making an assumption that this store is making a valid business decision and not just being blatently discriminatory.
This situation is similar to the way some pizza delivery companies will not deliver in high crime areas. That practice may offend some, but it makes totally good business sense to me.

Sounds to me the plaintiff needs to go to their bank and get a debit/atm card? I agree its a very weak case! Peace!

Ok, I have a store on Flemming Island that's never been robbed.
My other store is on Moncrief in the NW Quadrant and it's been robbed six times in four years.

I hire a security company. Should I put the guard on Flemming Island or on Moncrief road?

If I put him on Moncrief, I'm a RACIST for assuming that a member of this fine, upstanding "community" on Moncrief road will rob my store.

If I put my security guard at the Flemming Island location, I'm STUPID because the store on Moncrief is being robbed while the guard on Flemming Island is sleeping at his post.

Which do I choose to be?

If I'm black and put the guard at Moncrief.

Am I a racist?

If I'm white and put the guard at Moncrief.

Am I a racist?

If I use common sense, am I a racist?
If YOU use common sense, are YOU a racist?

And if you don't understand what I'm trying to say in my dissertation above, YOU are the STUPID one.

The article does not state that they are not accepting checks because it has a high rate of bounced checks....just because you are in a black neighborhood doesn't mean that you are going to bounce a check. A black person can go to the white neighborhood and bounce a check and is that okay because he's in the white neighborhood and a white person can go to a black neighborhood and bounce a check as well????

I tell you all that you are some racist people on here...I've read comments on here for the last month of so and you are just as bad as a black person that wants to run with the race card every chance they get...you all bash blacks the first chance you get! I'm black and I don't fall into that category...I'm hard working, law-abiding citizen that lives in a nice neighborhood and don't look for a hand out from any one! I work for all the things that my family and I want! There are low-class in every ethnicity!!! One everyone seem to understand that, this world would be a better...every thing is not about the black person!!!

Clarification...Once everyone understand that this there are low-class in every ethnicity and race of people, then this world would be a better place!

how come whites never file stuff like this ...whites are law abiding citizens they know the rules ..blacks will always contest to the end when they don't get their way its discrimination..how come we haven't heard much about al sharptons finances in the last couple of weeks..

Ok go to the 'white" store and right the bad check.

I'm a problem solver :)

Kimbi wrote:

The article does not state that they are not accepting checks because it has a high rate of bounced checks....just because you are in a black neighborhood doesn't mean that you are going to bounce a check. A black person can go to the white neighborhood and bounce a check and is that okay because he's in the white neighborhood and a white person can go to a black neighborhood and bounce a check as well????
I tell you all that you are some racist people on here...I've read comments on here for the last month of so and you are just as bad as a black person that wants to run with the race card every chance they get...you all bash blacks the first chance you get! I'm black and I don't fall into that category...I'm hard working, law-abiding citizen that lives in a nice neighborhood and don't look for a hand out from any one! I work for all the things that my family and I want! There are low-class in every ethnicity!!! One everyone seem to understand that, this world would be a better...every thing is not about the black person!!!

we are not racist..we are realist..we are asking the question...did they decide to stop accepting over the amount checks in this area because of a large number of returned checks? if yes, then that is common business sense...if no, they do need to explain why they are doing it. they also didnt say if this particular gentleman has bounced checks at winn dixie or not...they do run check verifications for this very reason. and considering how much money winn dixie donates to minority and black charities, im a little suspect that they did it simply because it is a black area.

just because it is in a black area..does not mean it has racial reasons...that could be just a happenstance...stop assuming because it happened in a black area it is automatically racial in origin.

Kimbi wrote:

The article does not state that they are not accepting checks because it has a high rate of bounced checks....just because you are in a black neighborhood doesn't mean that you are going to bounce a check. A black person can go to the white neighborhood and bounce a check and is that okay because he's in the white neighborhood and a white person can go to a black neighborhood and bounce a check as well????
I tell you all that you are some racist people on here...I've read comments on here for the last month of so and you are just as bad as a black person that wants to run with the race card every chance they get...you all bash blacks the first chance you get! I'm black and I don't fall into that category...I'm hard working, law-abiding citizen that lives in a nice neighborhood and don't look for a hand out from any one! I work for all the things that my family and I want! There are low-class in every ethnicity!!! One everyone seem to understand that, this world would be a better...every thing is not about the black person!!!

Reporters tend to be slanted a certain way. Maybe Mork is actually right, which I'm not doubting in this case, but journalists tend to leave facts out to support their bias. I mean, we don't even know who wrote this article so how can we know for a fact that we're being told the whole and true story?

How would a check bounce? Considering that everything is electronic and you can verify that funds are available almost instantly?

HOW ABOUT A POLICY no checks period! debit /credit period if ya dont have thoses then break out the food stamps or cash period problem solved.

besides any one can get a checking account doesnt mean there is money in it! there for bad checks are highly possible.

This story brought up an incident that happend to me when I first moved to Jacksonville.
I was at a Publix Supermarket on Dunn Ave and was checking out when I used my ATM Debt card and wanted cash back and had no problem.
About a year later I was at a Publix Supermarket in Mandrain (St. Augustine Road) again checking out..using my ATM debt card (The SAME card ...with MY photo on it)The lady in front of me used her debt card and wasnt asked for ID. I was asked by the cashier to see my DL and I was like WTF if im using a debt card..and put in my pin..my id dosent need to be verified..on credit transactions yes...but on debt transactions no...so after about 30min the manager came over and apologized. I was truly upset and sent in a complaint letter to Publix's Corporate offices.

tony wrote:

how come whites never file stuff like this ...whites are law abiding citizens they know the rules ..blacks will always contest to the end when they don't get their way its discrimination..how come we haven't heard much about al sharptons finances in the last couple of weeks..

Blacks are law-abiding citizens as well! Not all blacks will contest to the end...you are generalizing and lumping all blacks into a one category!

I could careless about Al Sharpton finances because he does nothing for me.

scott1 wrote:

<quoted text>
did they decide to stop accepting over the amount checks in this area because of a large number of returned checks? if yes, then that is common business sense...if no, they do need to explain why they are doing it. they also didnt say if this particular gentleman has bounced checks at winn dixie or not...they do run check verifications for this very reason. and considering how much money winn dixie donates to minority and black charities, im a little suspect that they did it simply because it is a black area.
just because it is in a black area..does not mean it has racial reasons...that could be just a happenstance...stop assuming because it happened in a black area it is automatically racial in origin.

Scott I can agree with you on certain points...maybe if we had more information we could better judge this...like I said some blacks always want to play the race card when things aren't to "their" liking.
I have no problems with Winn-Dixie making fair business choices, I would do the same thing if my business was losing money no matter who frequented/where the business was located.
I just don't like all the generalizations that are spewed here more times than not...in my opinions it borders on racism.

MorkFromOrk wrote:

If I owned two stores and both accept checks.
Store #1 gets 1% bounced checks
Store #2 gets 15% bounced checks
So, I tell store #2 not to accept any more checks.
Am I discriminating? YES
Is it RACIAL discrimination? NO
People in certain places have, what they consider, acceptable practices. I know, I work with some who think bouncing a check is a necessity "once in a while, like when I just gotta have those shoes." HUH?
Businesses have to protect themselves. I agree with Winn Dixie

Maybe I should file the same bs suit with Wally world, as they will not or ever will put in the self serve counters in the 103 wally world, when I asked the manager about it, he all but laughed and said that theft was a big enough problem at the store as it was without giving them a free swipe at it as well......... This was all based on past performance and the level of theft from that store........period end.......I agree with winn dixie, after all THEY have the right to refuse our business period.........