Woman Has Bad|Shopping Trip to Kohl’s

DALLAS (CN) - A shopper claims in court that Kohl's department store employees detained and assaulted her, then had her wrongfully arrested because she is Jewish.

Cindy Schwarzkopf sued Kohl's Department Stores, Kohl's employees Wanda Cox and Mark McCoy and the City of Mesquite, in Dallas County Court.

Schwarzkopf says that wh ile she was shopping at Kohl's Mesquite store on May 11, 2010, "She was assaulted and defamed, falsely accused, detained and falsely arrested."

The complaint continues: "Plaintiff was also subjected to such conduct because she is of the Jewish faith, in clear violation of the Texas Constitution and the Texas Human Rights Act."

Though Schwarzkopf says she was "falsely accused," the complaint does not elucidate what she was accused of.

Schwarzkopf claims the city, through police Officer Chad Parks, condoned the store's conduct and "proceeded to exacerbate a bad situation," resulting in her false arrest.

Kohl's, she says, "had the duty of reasonable care and to act with prudence, knowledge and skills in providing trained and supervised personnel to make the shopping experience uneventful and safe. Defendants failed in their duty of care when their employees ... manifested a grave lack of competence, due diligence and prudence in their interactions with the plaintiff."

Schwarzkopf seeks actual and punitive damages for negligence, gross negligence, violations of the Texas Constitution and the Texas Human Rights Act, false arrest, assault, defamation, fraud and civil conspiracy.

She is represented by Paul Rich of Dallas.

Follow @davejourno

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