Guy sues Walmart for $100 million or 'free unlimited lifetime shopping'. Then, the verdict came

Discrimination and unethical trade practices can severely damage a brand's image and can also lead to legal trouble in the age of social media. But it may prove to be very costly for Walmart if a man wins a court battle against the retail giant. Earlier this year, a Texas man sued Walmart for $100 million in damages and will only accept "unlimited free lifetime shopping" at any of its locations as an alternative. Roderick Jackson of Waskom, Texas, filed two handwritten complaints with a District Court over an incident inolving discrimination and the “false pretense of shoplifting” at a Walmart outlet, according to Fox News.

What Led to the Lawsuit?

Jackson filed the complaints without an attorney in January that said he was suing Walmart for an incident that occurred at a store in Omaha, Nebraska, in March 2021.

According to documents obtained by Fox Business, one complaint was over a “false pretense of shoplifting” and the other claimed that he “suffered civil rights violations based on race/color.” Apart from the compensation, Jackson also demanded that Walmart should pay all court fees associated with the lawsuit. The complaints did not provide any other details about the incident that he mentioned, while a spokesperson for Walmart said the firm does “not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”

Too Ambitious for a Happy Ending

Jackson's complaints were sadly thrown out by a judge after the court determined that both complaints were not properly completed and told him to file new ones. 

“Jackson has failed to complete the civil complaint form properly and as a result, it is difficult, if not impossible, for the court to determine the jurisdictional, legal, and factual basis for the plaintiff’s allegation," the court documents said according to Fox59.

Jackson did file amended complaints in February, citing "slander/ libel, malicious prosecution, false imprisonment or detainment, defamation and false allegations of a crime" as the basis for the lawsuit. This time, Jackson demanded $100 million in damages in each of the cases but did not mention free unlimited shopping.

Following the amendment, in April, Walmart requested  the cases be dismissed and Judge Timothy Brooks did just that citing failure to state a proper claim and lack of jurisdiction.

“As we’ve said all along, we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind and Mr. Jackson’s claims are without merit. We’re pleased with the Court’s decision," Walmart said in a statement shared with KNWA/KFTA. However, Jackson did not give up and appealed the judge’s decision to throw out the two cases.

Walmart representatives further shared details of the case with NBC News. The company claimed that the two cases and allegations were almost identical to a previous lawsuit that Jackson filed in 2021.

Back then, Jackson alleged that in an incident that occurred in Nebraska, he was racially profiled and falsely accused of a crime, which led to his arrest. In the complaint, he claimed that he suffered emotional stress and pain from handcuffs.

While he did not name the police department, he did seek $100 million and “a huge credit for future shopping”. He even amended the complaint to ask for a whopping $175 million in damages.