Allen v. Columbia Mall, Inc.

MEMORANDUM

LEGG, District Judge.

While the Allen family was Christmas shopping at the Columbia Mall in December 1995, Christian Allen and his friend, Chelton Thorpe, were accused of shoplifting at a Learningsmith store. These two young men and Christian Allen’s mother, Sandra Allen (“Allen”), filed the present case against Columbia Mall and four of its security guards 1 (collectively “Mall defendants”) and Learningsmith, Inc. and two of its employees 2 (collectively “Learnings-mith defendants”). All African-Americans, the plaintiffs allege racial discrimination and unlawful search and seizure…