Thursday the corporation issued a statement about the Wednesday incident in which the students were told to leave a store because staff said they worried they would steal something. The students had not stolen anything and during their brief time in the store had done nothing untoward.
“Inclusion and diversity are among Apple’s core values,” the Apple statement said. “We believe in equality for everyone, regardless of race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. That applies throughout our company, around the world with no exceptions.”
Caught on video on a phone by one of the students, the incident went viral, with tens of thousands of social media users viewing it; many accused Apple of racism and of racial profiling.
Not long after the six friends had entered the store during their lunch break from school, a staff member told the six youths that “These guys (other staff) are just a bit worried about your presence in our store. They think…they’re just worried you might steal something.”
One of the students asked why it was thought that they would steal and the staff member simply said “end of story” and gestured toward the entrance and had them leave.
After they were forced to leave the store, the students went back to school and were accompanied on a return to the store by their principal, Nick Scott; at that time the store’s manager issued an apology.
Mr. Scott said he was satisfied the store manger’s apology was sincere and said that the manger apologized gracefully.
