A Target store in Bakersfield is now requiring adult chaperones to accompany teens in the store after 4 p.m., according to a Fox News report.
Since the policy was enacted in June, store employees at the Valley Plaza Mall outlet have been forbidding those younger than the age of 18 without a chaperone from entering, according to Fox.
The media outlet reported that security guards aren’t allowed to check IDs but, instead, are turning teens away based on their looks.
The policy was created to combat recent theft, fights, and teenage loitering, a Target employee told a local TV news station.
Some parents, including Avelina Caywood, complained to Fox News, saying it was unfair for the corporation to be targeting teenagers based on their age.
Ms. Caywood said her 19-year-old son was stopped and questioned but let in when he said he was older than 18. However, her daughter, who’s 16 years old, was prevented from entering two weeks later.
The 16-year-old questioned the policy, saying: “It’s not like I was making trouble. Why don’t they kick out the teens that do make trouble.”
But others went on social media to voice support for the policy.
“Hats off to you [Bakersfield Target], for closing shop to teens after 4 p.m.,” one person posted on X (fka Twitter). “Until people learn how to teach kids to be young adults, you’ll pay the price. And I’m sure grownups appreciate the peace and quiet during their shopping experience.”
