A woman of Korean descent was horrified when picking up her photos in Egg Harbor City, noticing that instead of her name, Hyun Lee, the CVS clerk had identified her as “Ching Chong Lee,” apparently an intended racial slur, or some prankish show of disrespect. She is now seeking $1 million in mental and emotional damages.
The young woman, soon to give birth to her third child, worries about her children growing up and facing discrimination. “I was horrified because it just brought back old memories of growing up as a minority,” said Lee.
She complained to the pharmacy in an email, and received an apology as well as a promise that the worker would be “counseled and trained.” She and her lawyer would prefer the young man be outright fired, and are seeking it in their suit, along with the million.
“I was disgusted. I didn’t want to go back to that store anymore,” said Lee. And that’s where it would end for most people; being disrespected by an impetuous worker is a common enough experience, after all.
“You could just get an apology, a ‘sorry,’ and just move on,” suggested another CVS customer who was interviewed regarding the incident by CBS news.
CVS has refused to comment on the case, as it is pending, but affirms that “CVS/pharmacy is committed to treating all our customers with dignity and respect.” Failing that, naturally they will give their workers “dignity and respect training.”
Lee and her attorney Susan Lask filed suit on April 1 in federal court in Camden.
