The Austin chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Austin), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Randalls and its parent company, Albertsons Companies, to launch an immediate investigation and take appropriate disciplinary action against a store assistant manager accused of targeting a Muslim senior with false theft allegations and banning her from all Randalls locations (APD Harassment Case # 25-9013995).
On June 1st at approximately 10:45 a.m., a 59-year-old American Muslim grandmother was shopping at the Randalls store located at 5311 Balcones Dr. while talking to her daughter in Arabic over the phone when she was approached by the store assistant manager. Without providing any explanation, he allegedly ordered her to leave the premises immediately and stated she was banned from all Randalls stores.
When the woman asked why, the assistant manager reportedly refused to give a reason for her or for her daughter who heard their conversation over the phone. He warned that he would call the police if she did not comply. Feeling humiliated and afraid, she left the store peacefully and returned to her car.
Later, her son-in-law called the store to inquire about the incident. The assistant manager allegedly answered and claimed that she had been seen on store surveillance footage placing items in her purse and that he had circulated her photograph to other Randalls locations to enforce the ban.
The family attempted to report the incident to Albertsons Companies’ customer service but were kept on hold for almost 90 minutes without a response.
On June 8, CAIR-Austin submitted formal complaints to both Randalls (Case Number: 18726450) and Albertsons Companies (Case Number: 18726678) requesting access to the alleged surveillance footage and hasn’t received any response yet.
In a statement, Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR-Austin Operations Manager said:
“This type of alleged mistreatment is unacceptable and deeply disturbing, especially at a store that claims to put people first. The Muslim grandmother in question has been a loyal customer at Randalls since 2013, after her family relocated to Austin. She also has been a U.S. citizen for decades and has no criminal history.
“If there is no credible evidence, then this appears to be profiling based on our client’s faith, spoken language, ethnicity, and appearance. We call on Randalls and Albertsons Companies to act swiftly by investigating the incident, taking appropriate actions based on the results of the investigation, and issuing a public apology. CAIR-Austin is also offering free ‘Islamophobia and Cultural Competence’ training to Randalls and other local businesses seeking to ensure respectful and inclusive treatment of all customers.”
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR Austin Operations Manager, 512-785-7105, shaimaa.zayan@cairtx.org