SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF BRONX
CHRISTOPHER POLICARD and DUANE DAVIS, Index No: 6343 /-
KE
Plaintiff, ‘SUMMONS.
Venue is based on
KERING AMERICAS, INC., Plaintiff Duane Davis's place of
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING AMERICA, INC, = residence 4349 Maida Avenue,
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING LTD., + Bronx, NY 10466
CATHERINE FLYNN, GEORGINA COLEMAN,
SAMANTHA BOYKIN and SIDRA CASTOR
Defendants
Tothe above-named Defendants:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the attached Verified Complaint of
Plaintiffs, CHRISTOPHER POLICARD and DUANE DAVIS, dated December 9,2015, a true
sand accurt copy of which is served upon you herewith, You mus serve your Vetted Answer
‘upon the undersigned atiomeys either (1) within twenty days afer service ofthis Summons and
the atached Verified Complain, exclusive of the day you received i you were served
personaly inthe State of New York, or (2) within thy days after sevice, exclusive ofthe day
‘you were recived i if you were not served personally in New York State
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that should you ful to serve your Verified Answer within the
time prescribed under applicable law, Plaintiffs, CHRISTOPHER POLICARD and DUANE
DAVIS, wil ake judgment against you by default for the relief demanded inthe Verified
Complaint pursuant to section 3215 ofthe New York Civil Practice Law and Rules.
Date: New York, NY
December 9, 2015
Yours, ecEISENBERG & BAUM, LLP
By:
rie Baum, Esq
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
24 Union Square East
Fourth Floor
‘New York, NY. 10003
(212) 353-8700
Te
KERING AMERICAS, INC.
3 East $7 Street
‘New York, NY 10022
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING AMERICA, INC
787 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10065
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING LTD.
747 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10065
CATHERINE FLYNN
GEORGINA COLEMAN
SAMANTHA BOYKIN
SIDRA CASTOR‘SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF BRONX
CHRISTOPHER POLICARD and DUANE DAVIS, Index No. 16363 / L015 €.
Plait, VERIFIED
CompLainr
Venue is based on
KERING AMERICAS, INC., Plaintiff Duane Davis's place of
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING AMERICA, INC, : residence: 4349 Matilda Avene,
‘ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING LTD, Bronx, NY 10466,
CATHERINE FLYNN, GEORGINA COLEMAN,
SAMANTHA BOYKIN and SIDRA CASTOR
Defendants
x
Pini CHRISTOPHER POLICARD and DUANE DAVIS, by their attorneys,
EISENBERG & BAUM, LLP, as and fr their Vertid Complaint against Defendants, stats as
follows:
‘THE PARTIES
1. Plaintiff CHRISTOPHER POLICARD (“POLICARD") is an individual esding
Jn Queens County, New York
2. Plaistif DUANE DAVIS (*DAVIS" is an individual residing a 4349 Mattia
‘Avenue in Bronx County, New York
3, Defendant KERING AMERICAS INC. (*KAP) is foreign business corporation
organized pursuant to the laws ofthe State of Delaware and maintaining offices and business
premises at maintaining business premises a3 East 57 Street, New York, NY 10022, nd duly
registered todo business, and doing business actively inthe State of New York. Upon
information and belief: was the employer of Pliniffs andor owned, operated and controlled
their employers,4. Defendant ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING AMERICA, INC. (“AMTAI")
{foreign business corporation organized pursuant othe laws ofthe State of Delaware and
‘sintaining offices ard business premises at mainsining business premises at 747 Madison
‘Avenue, New York, NY 10065, and duly registered to do busines, and doing busines atively,
inthe State of New York, Upon information and belie it was the employer of Plants
S. Defendant ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRADING LTD (“AMTL"), is foreign
business corporation cxpanized pursuant tothe laws of the State of Great Bian and duly
‘egistered to do business, and doing busines atively, inthe tate of New You, and maintaining
offices and business premises at 747 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Upon information
and belie it was the employer of Plant
6 Defendant CATHERINE FLYNN is an individual upon information and belief
employed asa manager or supervisor by AMTAI and/or AMTL and/or KAI ora related business
entity and upon infomation and belie resides in the State of New York
7. Defendant GEORGINA COLEMAN isan individual upon infomation and bli
‘employed as a manager or supervisor by AMTAAL and/or AMTL and/or KAL ora related business
entity and upon information and belief resides in the State of New York
8 Defendant SAMANTHA BOYKIN is an individual upon infomation and belief
‘employed asa manager or supervisor by AMTAAI andlor AMT. andlor KAL ora celated business
catty and upon information and belie resides in the State of New York.
9. _Defendnt SIDRA CASTOR is an individual upon infomation and blir’
‘employed asa manager or supervisor by AMTAAI and/or AMT andlor KAL ora related business
entity and upon information and belief resides in the Stale of New York,JURISDICTION AND VENUE.
10, This Court has personal jurisdiction over the Defendants pursuant to CPLR
£8301 and 302, because the Defendants are located in New Yor, resie in New Yor, are
licensed oo business in New York and ae transacting busines in New
11, Venues proper pursuant o CP.LR, 503 based on Paints place of residence.
BACKGROUND.
12, The Kerin corporation operates world-famous luxury fashion houses suchas
‘Alexander MeQueen, Gucci, Balenciaga and Stella MeCeriney. On the company’s website, it
boasts: "Kering empowers its wary and sport & lifestyle brands to reach their potential inthe
‘most imaginative way." Among the company’s high-profile clients is counted Fist Lady
Michelle Obama, wife ofthe fst Aftican-Amercan president, Lady Gapa and Naomi Campbell
13, However this highend lunury designer has engaged in systematic racism aginst
ering’ Aftican-Amerian employees. Upon information and bei, Kerng exercise tual
day-to-day control over the other defendants he
including but not limit
to supervising,
‘managing and controlling their polices, practices and procedures, including but not limited to
policies practices and procedures governing race discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and
conducts such business on its premises. This isnot the first time the Defendants were placed on
notice of racial discrimination. Upon information and belie, Othman Ibela filed @ complaint with
the EEOC in 2013 against the Alexander MeQueen organization,
14, Plaintiff Policard is an Affican American and he began his employment with
Defendants at the 747 Madison Avenue location approximately one year ago. He isan inventory
supervisor. Since the inception of his employment, he has faithfully carried out the duties of his
position to a high standard of excellence.15. Plaintitr Davis is an African American and he began his employment with
Defendants atthe 747 Madison Avenue location approximately two years ago. He is an
inventory clerk. Since the inception of his employment, he has faithfully carried out the duties of
his position oa high standard of excellence.
16, The company, upon infomation and belie, systematically rejects Afican-
‘Auta job applicants who seek postions onthe sles floor where they canbe seen by
‘ustomers or positions where they might have authority over white employees, relegating the few
‘Aftican-Americans who are hired to menial positions behind the scenes. The only time that
POLICARD and DAVIS are seen by customers is when Kering searches them for theft in front
‘of the other employees and customers, wich is done on the floor during business hours, White
employees, on the other hand, are sereened for thet after closing and in private
17, Defendants Flynn, Boykin and Coleman are supervisors to whom Plaintiffs
slirectly report, They act with the authority of AMTAL, AMTL and KAI. Defendant Castor is @
‘human resources manager designated to receive and respond to complains of racial
discrimination. She acts withthe authority of AMTAI, AMTL and KAI. Defendants Castor
Flynn and Coleman are white, and Defendant Boykin is Asian
18. On September 17, 2015, acting on his own behalf and on behalf of Plaintift
Davis, Plaintiff Policard made a writen complaint about racial discrimination to Defendant
Boykin. He stated that Plaintiffs had consistently experienced discrimination since the inception
‘of their employment based on their race, African-American, and demanded that such
‘mistreatment cease. Although the frst formal complaint, Defendants knew or should have known
that Plaintiffs were previously subjected to continuous racial discrimination,19. When no steps were taken to address the diseriminstory mistreatment and it
continued unebated or worsened, Plantif Davis made a second written complaint on November
18, 2015, this time direting it to Defendant Sidra Castro in Defendants’ human resources