Two men say Lowes employee called them a racial slur

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - It was supposed to be a simple trip to the store for two friends needing some supplies, but they found themselves on the receiving end of a racial slur.

"The first thing I had was frustration. This is 2017. We should not still be going through that."

Bryant Hampton says a trip to a Lowes in West Philadelphia suddenly placed him on the receiving end of a racial tirade-- getting called the N-word by a store employee.

A few nights ago, he was with his friend Eric in the store for some supplies and he encountered the angry staffer.

"The way it seemed like it, I was in there boosting or stealing something. So he escorted me back specifically to the nails. I said, "I could find my own nails," Bryant said.

"That's when I heard screaming. I heard his voice and I heard another guy screaming," Eric explained.

Eric says he walked back to see what all the fuss was about when it happened.

"That's when he said, "Tell that N to get out of my face," Bryant said.

Eric Franks, a city firefighter, says he was called the very same thing.

"Even though I'm looking at the vest, I'm looking at the uniform I'm like this can't be happening and nobody around is saying anything to this guy," Eric said.

They tell FOX 29 the employee who used the racial slur is also African-American.

They say they got an apology from store managers, but they wanted hear from the Lowes corporate office.
They gave us a statement, quote, "We've taken the appropriate action and the employee is no longer at the store."