Black woman forced to strip down in front of male Target employees to prove she didn't steal a bikini: lawsuit

A Michigan woman is suing retail giant Target for racial profiling after she was allegedly forced to strip down in front of male employees at one of their stores to prove she didn't steal a bikini.

Detroit's WXYZ reported that Ashanea Davis was at a Target location in Southfield, Michigan when loss prevention officers accosted her while she was trying to leave the store. The officers handcuffed her and "took her to a back room forcing her to show that she wasn’t wearing the bikini underneath her clothing."

"To obtain her freedom she then has to pull up her shirt with two male employees at target to prove she hasn’t stolen a bikini top and then she has to pull down her pants to prove she hasn’t stolen a bikini bottom," attorney Jasmine Rand told WXYZ. "And only then would they let her leave."

Davis told the Detroit ABC affiliate that the incident was "very humiliating."

"At first I was in shock, of course," she said. “I felt degraded. It was sad. I was very upset.”

Davis and her legal team — which includes Rand and attorney Maurice Davis — intend to sue Target Corporation with claims of racial and gender discrimination. In a statement, Target apologized for the alleged profiling and announced the termination of one employee "directly involved" in the incident.

Watch WXYZ's report below: