The Anchorage Equal Rights Commission has issued a preliminary ruling in favor of an Alaska Native woman who said she was discriminated by employees at a Wal-Mart store.

Paula Starbard, 27, said she felt humiliated when she tried to return a defective game to the store. She said she waited for more than three hours for assistance yet was denied a return or exchange.

With the favorable ruling, Starbard can seek up to $10,000 in attorney fees from Wal-Mart and the cost of the game plus interest from the time of the June 2001 incident. The store must also provide more discrimination training and put up posters regarding discrimination law.

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Rights panel finds racism at Wal-Mart (The Anchorage Daily News 3/17)
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