Broward County Plaintiff Files Civil Rights Suit Against Walmart Over Xenophobic Incident

Oscar Von Der heyde filed a civil‑rights and personal‑injury complaint in Broward County Circuit Court, case number CACE26002123, saying a Walmart employee became aggressive when he asked for assistance and used xenophobic language. The complaint was filed on or about Feb. 5–6, 2026 and the brief filing summary does not identify the store, the employee, or the alleged wording beyond the characterization of xenophobic language.

The Broward filing arrives amid a string of recent and prior lawsuits and public condemnations over alleged racial profiling, harassment, and physical confrontations involving Walmart employees. A jury in Oregon ordered Walmart to pay $4.4 million in damages to a Black shopper who said an employee surveilled him, told him to leave the store and then called police during a March 26, 2020 encounter at a Wood Village, Oregon store. Court documents and reports identify the plaintiff as Michael Mangum, though at least one report used the name Dovey Mangum. The asset protection associate involved was named in filings as Joe Williams.

According to the Oregon litigation record and accounts tied to it, Williams called non‑emergency dispatch and told operators the shopper "just keeps checking me out" and that the shopper had "started flipping out on me." Deputies who responded allegedly refused to take action against the shopper after noting the employee’s shifting explanations and a reputation for making false reports. Williams remained on the job for several months and was later fired in July 2020 for mishandling $35 of Walmart property. In depositions Williams denied wrongful conduct and said the shopper had threatened to "smash him in the face."

Civil‑rights advocates and counsel tied to these cases argue the pattern extends beyond isolated incidents. One attorney said the verdict underlined that Walmart lacks enforceable policies to police loss prevention conduct, adding, "They don't learn. They don't listen." Plaintiffs’ lawyers in the Oregon case said the shopper’s jobs "would have been at great risk had he been charged with a crime," and described his resistance to intimidation from what they characterized as lying and bullying.

Other episodes cited in lawsuits and public statements include a July 2021 incident in Donaldsonville, Louisiana in which Beverly Robinson says a Walmart employee pushed a line of carts into her, knocking her to the floor and causing bruises, sprains and internal injuries; Robinson is seeking in excess of $75,000 and her attorney Ralph Brickman said, "Beverly Robinson put the items in the grocery cart and placed her hands on the handle of the cart, when suddenly and violently she was pushed to the floor, by the force of several grocery carts being pushed into her from the opposite side, by a Walmart employee." A Southern California civil‑rights group condemned a Moreno Valley episode in which a shopper was reportedly told, "You people are always trying to steal," and subjected to racial slurs, calling the conduct evidence of "deep‑rooted racism" and urging Walmart to take steps so the incident is not repeated.

For Walmart employees and frontline supervisors these cases sharpen questions about loss prevention training, escalation practices, and how managers respond to internal reports. Repeated litigation and large verdicts increase legal exposure and put corporate compliance and human resources policies under scrutiny. For shoppers and workers alike, such incidents can chill interactions, raise safety concerns, and heighten tensions in stores.

What comes next is confirmation of the Broward complaint details and any official response from Walmart. Workers, managers and lawyers will be watching the court docket in CACE26002123, any disclosures about the employee involved, and whether corporate policies or disciplinary records change in response to mounting legal pressure.