Bullock's Race Discrimination Case Continued; Court Date Set for April 29 to Allow Investigation of New Evidence.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 31, 1996--New evidence in the race discrimination case against Bullock's Department Store and Macy's West, Inc. Friday led a San Francisco Superior Court Judge to delay the trial date to allow the plaintiff's attorneys more time to investigate.

The trial was set to begin Monday, Jan. 29, 1996, and has been continued to April 29, 1996.

The lawsuit stems from a Dec. 23, 1994 incident at the Costa Mesa, Calif., Bullock's Department Store during which Maurice Brewster, a black businessman, alleges he was singled out as a suspect for shoplifting and detained by a store manager solely because of his race.

The new evidence consists of records from Bullock's credit card department that reveals for the first time that prior to contacting Brewster in the store, security personnel reported Brewster's platinum credit card as possibly stolen without having any basis for doing so.

Brewster alleges that the store manager, Robert Murakami, attributed his suspicions of Brewster to past theft problems involving black males. Brewster contends that Bullock's false credit card report stems from its personnel's disbelief that a black man would have a platinum credit card.

Bullock's is a division of Federated Department Stores (NYSE:FD).

CONTACT: Kerosky & Bradley

Edwin L. Bradley Esq., 415/777-4445