Galleria store employee says he was banned from mall for wearing hoodie

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - FOX 26 paid a visit to the Galleria’s mall security office the management office and spoke to the PR  person who handles their media calls to get the Galleria’s side to this story.

Still we have no response as to why Trevor Jones-Smith was banned.

Here’s his account as to what happened.

Jones-Smith is mad as you-know-what and doesn’t try to hide it as he videos himself being escorted out of the Galleria.

“I’m a student at Texas Southern University,” Jones-Smith said. “It’s my second year I’m a dietetics major.”

Jones-Smith also works at the H & M store in the Galleria.

After he got off last Friday he says he was shopping in the Galleria when a mall security guard told him to take off his hoodie.

“I asked well why must I take off my hoodie and she said because it’s policy and I stated where is it stated in black and white,” Jones-Smith said.

Moments later Jones-Smith said he was followed into a store by mall security and an HPD officer working at the Galleria.

“You targeted me and then to add insult to injury you bring the HPD officer how is that supposed to make me feel as a black man,” Jones-Smith said. “It just didn’t seem fair at all.”

Jones-Smith said he would have taken the hoodie off if security would have shown him the written policy.

We found no signs in the Galleria about hoodies but noticed two people wearing them.

We also saw numerous shoppers with caps on.

If the concern is a hoodie can obstruct your face we saw plenty of shoppers in caps whose faces were somewhat obscured.

“I have the right to ask for proof I’m not bothering anyone,” Jones-Smith said. “I just want to see it in black and white that’s it.”

A manager at H&M says he knew nothing about the no hoodie policy and says Jones-Smith still has his job but mall security says he can only go directly in and out of his employers store.

He can’t go anywhere else in the Galleria including the food court.

“I feel like they chose to implement their policy on whoever they feel like it,” Jones-Smith said. “it just wasn’t fair.”

Again we were not able to find any public postings about no hoodies allowed.

As far as clothing is concerned the Galleria’s code of conduct states wear appropriate clothing.

Whatever that is.