A Georgia doctor has filed a lawsuit against Nordstrom, alleging that employees wrongly accused her of shoplifting and subjected her to a physical detainment. Dr. Naomi Black, a licensed counselor from Atlanta, claims the incident occurred in July 2025 as she was purchasing items for an upcoming trip to Bali.
According to the lawsuit, Black was approaching the exit of the Nordstrom store at Perimeter Mall with her purchases when two employees intercepted her. The lawsuit states the employees did not identify themselves and forcibly detained her, pushing her through the store and into a private room without explanation.
Black reported feeling violated and fearful during the encounter. She claims the employees refused to explain why she was being stopped, despite her repeated questions. The situation escalated when one employee allegedly grabbed her arm and another pushed her. A pair of handcuffs was reportedly visible on a table in the private room.
Upon searching her shopping bag, the employees found no stolen merchandise. The lawsuit alleges that one employee eventually admitted Black had been mistaken for another shopper and released her without an apology.
Dr. Black's attorney, Candace Atlas of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law Firm, noted that under Georgia law, retailers can only detain suspected shoplifters if they have reasonable grounds to believe a theft has occurred. Atlas stated that these conditions were not met in Black's case.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from Nordstrom, citing negligence by the store's employees. It also calls for changes to Nordstrom's employee training policies to prevent similar incidents. Nordstrom has 30 days to respond to the allegations after being served with the lawsuit.