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‘Arrow’ actor Kirk Acevedo claims he was discriminated against at Vancouver Coach store

Kirk Acevedo says he feels he was locked out of a Vancouver Coach store because of . Fringe/Warner Bros. TV

Actor Kirk Acevedo claims he was locked out of a Coach store on Burrard St. in Vancouver because of what he was wearing. The actor, who is part of the cast of the television show Arrow, which is shot in Vancouver, posted about his experience on Twitter.

Acevedo describes that he was waiting for the high-end fashion store to open when he was asked by a salesperson if he was going to buy anything.

“AND when I said, did you really just asked me that?! She preceded to lock the door on me!” Acevedo wrote online.

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Then, in a follow-up tweet, Acevedo claims that once the sales clerk locked the door on him, she opened it up one minute later for another guest.

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“1 minute later a Caucasian woman who’s also in that pic Knocks on the door 2 see if their [sic] open, AND she opens the doors for her,” Acevedo wrote.

Coach has not responded to a request for more information sent to their corporate offices in New York City. Coach has also not responded to Acevedo’s messages on social media.

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In an online conversation, Acevedo told Global News that he felt under attack by the salesperson because of the way he was dressed. In addition to wearing a T-shirt with baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson on the front, the actor was wearing shorts and sneakers.

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“I think she’s used to seeing people dressed a certain way who frequent her store,” Acevedo said in a Twitter message. “I was wearing Camo shorts, black socks and sneakers. (Very LA Look) BUT the fact you judge someone by the way they look is horrendously shallow.”

Acevedo thinks that if he had provided a different answer, he would not have had the door locked on him at the luxury store known for its expensive handbags, wallets, bags and clothing.

“If I said, ‘Yes, I’m going to buy that jacket right there,’ she would [have] totally let me in at that moment. But when I said, “Did you really just ask me that?! She got nervous and flustered and closed the door. So I waited because I knew eventually she had to open the door and when another woman came she did.”
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The American actor has a long list of television credits. Acevedo has appeared in Band of Brothers, Fringe and The Black Donnellys. He says he was eventually allowed in the store where he composed his tweet and took a picture.

“I went in. Sat down calmly in a chair. And wrote that first tweet sitting in their store. Took a picture of the lady then showed her the tweet on my phone, let her read it and said you should never ask that of anybody, then pressed the tweet button,” wrote Acevedo. “I did this all very calmly. And it should all be on tape.”

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