Please help me make COSTCO accountable for racism.

Aloha.

Thank you for stopping by my page.

My name is Nova and I am an Independent Contractor that shops for living. I have had multiple corporate jobs but was harassed for many years at one and developed clinical PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), so, I decided to change it up. I have been a contractor for a few years now.

Over the past few months because of a few major incidents, at stores I shop at, regarding racial profiling, discrimination, harassment, as well as retaliation, I have been extremely depressed, anxious and have heightened symptoms of PTSD and OCD. I also have stress induced heart palpitations. It has been hard to work or even be around people. But like rapper 50 Cent said, poor people do not have time to be depressed. I am at a point in my life where I am struggling and can lose my apartment. I usually do not talk about these things or ask for help but when God gives you the ability to do so, you ask. I am here because I feel it’s easier to ask multiple people for $1 than one person for a lot. I would feel blessed, if you are someone who can spare a dollar. But just stopping by, reading my story without judgment of me and passing it on to the next person is also a blessing so thank you.

When things are unlawful and unjust, you talk about it and not let people silence the truth.

Part of My story:

I am hard working, professional and shop for my customers, like I would for myself or loved ones. I am a very engaging person, so I always do my best to make it a healthy environment for myself, and others, no matter what store I enter.

The past couple years being an independent contractor, I have realized that quite a few businesses discriminate against people like me for being “just” delivery drivers. I gather most contractors would say that it is normal to be treated poorly on a daily basis and to just let it go. But what happens, when it is very deliberate, a big conglomerate, at multiple locations, by multiple employees and customers, racially profile, discriminate and harass you? You realize that pushing products is the store's only concern and that this is the culture by the people managing the store.

Sidenote: To get a gist of how often I shop at this particular store, the application I use to shop says I have walked close to 120 football fields in this store, in the past few months. Also, I know most of the management, a plethora of employees (Costco and CDS) including two district managers (Jennifer Kaikko - VP Regional Operations Manager SD and Joe Stanovcak - VP Regional Operations Manager), one of which bought my membership because I was treated so poorly at another store. Please ask Debra at the door about me. She literally gives me a hug when she sees me or Val in electronics, she says she loves seeing my smiling face.

On Sunday, September 29, 2024 I entered Costco Wholesale at 12350 Carmel Mountain Road which is run by Kevin Perreira.

On this particular day, while working and almost finished, I notice a caucasian man continually staring at me from about 20 feet away. He did this for about 10 minutes, while I was talking to myself about my order and looking at my phone. It was making me extremely uncomfortable so I said, please stop staring at me, it's harassing, at least twice. At no point was I rude, out of line or raised my voice. The store is particularly loud so I assumed he did not hear me. A couple more minutes go by and because I have PTSD I am very hyper vigilant, I notice a BIG, about 6’2, 225lbs caucasian man, at least 40 yards away walking in my direction. Mind you the other BIG caucasian man was still harassing me with his stares.

The man walking towards my direction, Bryson, a manager at the store who does not know me, comes up to me and with a very rude tone says, “what’s the problem?!” At this point I am taken aback by his demeanor and tone. I say politely, “Pardon me?” He says, “You’re causing a scene!” I said again politely, “Excuse me?” He says, “You need to calm down!” I begin to ask him why he’s talking to me this way and he keeps telling me that I am causing a scene. Which was a complete and utter lie. I begin to tell him about the caucasian man standing 15 feet behind him, who has been staring at me and harassing me for the last 10 minutes and that I would him (Bryson) to tell the man to go away.

At no point does Bryson even turn around to tell this man to go away. So because I know Kevin Perreira, I ask for him. He asks, “who are you?!” I take my sunglasses off, tell him my name and say I know Kevin, as well as Jennifer Kaikko. He tells me that I need to leave the store or he will have to call the cops. I was mind blown. I did absolutely nothing that would garner that. I ask him what I did and he still has no real answer. Of course once he talks about the authorities, I am not going to contest it because I am a brown woman dealing with two caucasian men.

I let Bryson know, I am walking out and that the only people being harassing were him and that customer. Also, when Bryson, a BIG caucasian man was walking me out, he stood sooooo close behind me, within a foot, it was like he was walking me out with his crotch. I stopped and said to him, can you please stop walking so close to me I can feel you on my butt. Then I asked, if I was a big man would you be walking so close to me? As we walked to the front entrance, I reminded him, that the only thing harassing was his behavior. Again, at no point was I loud, rude, out of line.

Another sidenote: The BIG caucasian man, that was staring at me the whole time, the one I assume, called management, followed us up to the front. I guess he’s like CIA or something. How harassing is that????!

After waiting for at least 15 minutes one of the other managers, Tatayana came to talk to me. I can tell you about our conversation but I will do that later. I was let back in the store to complete my order but before I was let back in, Tatayana said, “you can go back in, as long as you don’t scream or use profanity.” I told her that I can appreciate that she has to say that because she is management but that I was very insulted because never would I ever or have I ever done that.

When I go back into the store, I see Kevin Perreira and try to talk to him on a professional level about what happened. He says to me, “Bryson said, he heard you say the F word several times.” Of course I was dumbfounded. I tell Kevin that is completely false and he can go check store video if he would like. He tells me, Bryson is one of his shining stars and that he is not going to check the video because there is no audio. I just say, we’ll agree to disagree.

Another sidenote: If Kevin checked the video, there would have been proof that Bryson was not even close enough to hear me say anything.

I informed Kevin that I would be calling Jennifer Kaikko at the corporate office to inform her about the behavior of Bryson. I called and left a message for Jennifer on Monday, September 30, 2024, as well as two more times that week and I never received a response. Fast forward to October 6, 2024. I received an email that my shopping application for work, which I do full time, was being put on pause, while an allegation of aggressive behavior was looked into. Guess which store complained about me? Costco Wholesale of course. On October 2, someone from Costco called and made a complaint about me with no just cause.

This is called retaliation. Costco management at Carmel Mountain Road did not like me trying to address Bryson’s racial profiling, discrimination and harassment so they called the company I work for and made a false complaint about aggressive behavior to try and get me fired. After finding no substantial evidence to the fact, they turned my application back on so I can work but did not tell me that I was no longer allowed to go to Costco.

So on October 14 , 2024 when I go to the store, I was about to walk in and Kevin Perriera and his management team just so happened to be at the door doing management rounds. I say, “Hi Kevin, just the person I want to see.” and he says, you are not allowed in this store through the shopping application or any Costcos. I was so mind blown. I asked him why. Kevin started saying my behavior but that he could not talk to me about it. I asked him whose decision this was and he said, Jennifer Kaikko. He also informed me that I am no longer allowed at ANY COSTCO WHOLESALE as a regular customer. That I AM NOT ALLOWED AT ANY COSTCOS EVER or on their property and that it was A COMPANY WIDE DECISION. I try to ask a few more questions but am met with four male managers (Kevin, Bryson, Jay and Nick) staring me down like I am a piece of sh*t and tell me that I need to leave the premises or they will call the cops on me.

Sidenote: When a company says they are going to call the authorities on you for no reason, that is not traumatizing at all is it. Not as a first generation, brown woman.

So of course I leave and contact the corporate office the next day, to speak with Jennifer but she is unavailable so I spoke with Jennifer Kaikko’s assistant Danielle. I try to talk to her about what happened and she becomes rude and informs me that Costco lawyers will contact me to let me know why I am no longer allowed at their stores. She also said I will receive a letter. I have yet to receive a call or letter. It is now November 19, 2024.

Please Kevin Perriera (manager at 12350 Carmel Mountain Road), Jennifer Kaikko (VP Regional Operations Manager), Ron Vachris (Chief Executive Officer) and John Sulliven (Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary) let me know why I am no longer allowed at your 890 stores worldwide. I guess I will never be able to go to any of the 35 Costcos in Japan, the 29 Costcos in the United Kingdom, the 108 Costcos in Canada and the list goes on. I like Costco Wholesale, just not them personifying harassment, discrimination, racial profiling or retaliation. Maybe one day when I take them to court for udder and debilitating emotional distress, they will tell me why.

Anything you donate will go towards bills, my future endeavors and filing a civil suit against Costco Wholesale for violating multiple laws with regards to civil rights. There are multiple stories I have about Costco Wholesale and other big conglomerates which you can check out on my Instagram, @thepropulsivebias

I truly appreciate you for taking the time to read my story even if you do not donate. Always remember to move forward with grace, kindness, hope, peace and Aloha. But never let them silence you.

Mahalo Nui Loa.

Nova Moran