Jaguar/Land Rover Dealership Sued For Allegedly Refusing Sales To Non-Whites
A lawsuit against a high-end car dealer from a former employee is making headlines because it involves allegations of racial discrimination. According to the Washington Times, A Houston, Texas Land Rover and Jaguar dealership is being sued by a former employee for what the employee called acts of racial discrimination against customers.
Steven Calderone, 53, was reportedly a salesman who earned commission of $343,000 via commission in nine months at the store. In a complaint reported by both Courthouse News and the Washington Times, Calderone alleged the dealership he worked for did not allow non-white customers to purchase vehicles from the Houston Jaguar-Land Rover lot. According to Court House News, the former salesman tried to sell vehicles to at least two non-white men of African-American and Middle Eastern descent and the dealership allegedly refused to make the transaction happen.
In the same report from Courthouse News, Calderone alleged his dealership profiled African-Americans as so-called “exporters,” and refused to sell them vehicles. The CN report further cited the lawsuit from the former employee that stated the salesman gave an African-American buyer an “agreement not to export,” which allegedly included new terms which made the deal fall though.
Courthouse News reports the former car salesman for the Houston Land Rover-Jaguar store is seeking $15 million in the lawsuit for lost wages, mental anguish and whistleblower retaliation per the Consumer Financial Protection Act.
An attorney for the dealership told CN in an email, “The company vehemently denies Mr. Calderone’s allegations that it fired him for objecting to a purported company policy of not financing or selling cars to minorities. The company has no such policy and Mr. Calderone certainly never objected to any such alleged policy.” Have you ever heard of any case similar to this one or heard of any of the so-called “exporter” policies described in this report?
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I purchased from Land Rover and had to sign the non export agreement and I am white. If I only knew they were being racist to white people maybe I could have sued them for $15 million dollars.
This is so stupid. Dealers are not allowed to sell cars they know will be exported.
I have personally been involved (successfully) in over 15 export lawsuits in Canada. As a Dealer Principal for 17 years, I have substantial insight into dealing with exports posing as buyers or exporters sending front-buyer in to buy. Although in Canada I assure you that the insight I can share with American dealers on easy to implement (legally enforceable) strategy’s to counter-act this thorny issue are relevant to you. If you are an American Dealer wanting info ask drivingsales for my email and contact me any time. Advice is free.