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Abercrombie & Fitch Faces Another Discrimination Fine

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Abercrombie &amp; Fitch's Mall of America store. Image via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebuettner/20005845/">EBuettner</a>/flickr
Abercrombie & Fitch's Mall of America store. Image via EBuettner/flickr

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Abercrombie and Fitch is finding itself at the center of yet another discrimination battle, this time with an autistic teen from Minnesota. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, staff at the retailer's Mall of America store refused to let the 14-year-old enter a fitting room with a family member, since the store has a one-to-a-room rule to prevent shoplifting. When the staffers still wouldn't budge after learning of the girl's condition, her family took her case to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which has just fined the store $115,264 for discriminating against a disabled person.

According to the paper, "The judge found that the store policy allowed fitting room employees to accommodate disabled shoppers, but that employees interpreted that to mean people with visible handicaps." If our brief college retail stint taught us anything, it's that there's an exception to every policy when it comes to keeping customers happy—but what do you think? Should Abercrombie have bent the rules in this case?
· Girl: I Was Treated Like a "Misfit" at Abercrombie & Fitch [Star Tribune]