Blackstone Hamilton has filed a compelling lawsuit against a prominent grocery chain, alleging discrimination under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. On April 11, 2025, Hamilton submitted the complaint in the Superior Court of California, Ventura County, targeting Grocery Outlet Inc., A&J Family Grocery LLC, and individuals Jorge Lopez and Ana Gil.
The case revolves around an incident on February 27, 2025, when Hamilton visited a Grocery Outlet store in Thousand Oaks. Upon entry, he was instructed by a female cashier to leave his bags at the front of the store—a policy that did not apply to female patrons carrying similar-sized purses. When Hamilton questioned this gender-based policy, he faced verbal abuse from another customer and indifference from store management. "The conduct described herein offends not only statutory law but fundamental notions of dignity," Hamilton asserts in his complaint.
Hamilton argues that the defendants violated several aspects of the Unruh Civil Rights Act by maintaining discriminatory policies and failing to intervene in harassment based on perceived gender expression. The plaintiff also accuses the defendants of breaching an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing by not providing a safe shopping environment. He is seeking $16,000 in statutory damages for four violations: discriminatory bag policy enforcement, failure to protect him from verbal attacks, allowing gender-based harassment to persist, and denial of equal services.
In addition to monetary compensation, Hamilton requests declaratory relief confirming that the defendants' actions violated civil rights laws. He also seeks injunctive relief requiring the grocery chain to cease its gender-based bag policy immediately and implement civil rights training for management. Lastly, he asks for assurance that he will not be barred from any Grocery Outlet location for asserting his rights.
Representing himself in this legal battle is Blackstone Hamilton as Plaintiff In Pro Per. The case is presided over by Judge K. Bigker with Deputy Clerk Natalie Rosete involved in filing procedures under Case No: 2025CLCRO42056.