Big 5 Sporting Goods

To the Manager of Big 5,
I was in Big 5 on Tuesday, 2-16-21, in Medford, OR, with my sister looking for shoes. I did not have a mask on due to health related issues. The sales person asked me if I had a mask. I replied that I did but that I had a medical exemption due to difficulty breathing from scarring in my lungs from surgery last fall. The sales person then had the manager come over and I repeated the same information to her. I reiterated to her that I could not breath with a mask on and that the mask, not the "pandemic, " was the real problem to me. A customer standing nearby said, "Yes, that's the truth." Another sales person (Alex Picone, a young man) who was not part of our conversation then walked across the shoe wall in front of us, he turned to walked backward towards the shoe storage area, facing me the whole time, and shouted at me, "You are a racist!" He was approximately 10 feet away from me when he shouted this directly towards me.
I was totally stunned, shocked, and felt victimized by this false and libelous accusation.
Several other store customers were watching by this point and definitely heard his uncalled for remark in which clearly labeled me as "racist." He apparently felt entitled and justified in making this devastating accusation toward me but I was so mortified at being labeled a racist for the first time in my life I could think of nothing to say that would refute this horrible statement; especially around others who did not know me. His remark indicated that he felt that it was okay to take advantage of an older and defenseless senior woman. I highly doubt that he would have said this to a younger man.

My complaint is regarding his remark, which was inappropriate and inflammatory. His outburst probably caused everyone watching to wonder what kind of training in customer service he received. Is this kind of derogatory treatment acceptable? I felt unsafe in the store. As a senior citizen with many health issues the stress of his hostile remark was triggering my breathing problems and made me wonder if it might get worse, or if I might be accosted or attacked further as I left the store for wrongfully being accused as a "racist." I felt my safety and well being were at risk and promptly left the store.