Woman Sexually Violated in Target Dressing Room
Target's gender neutral bathroom policy is back in the headlines after a man entered the women's dressing room in one store to record video of a woman getting undressed.
A woman identified only as Leslie claims she was sexually violated by a man in the women's dressing room at a Target store in Woodlands, Texas.
She says a man came into the room and began videoing her as she tried on different bathing suits.
"In the mirror I saw the reflection of the cell phone," she said.
She added that the man had a child in a stroller with him.
"I was just thinking I have to do something and I have to stop it," said Leslie.
But Leslie said she felt helpless. "That man is tall, and I wasn't able to do anything," she recounted.
And she says store employees failed to help, even after she screamed.
Leslie got her blouse on and managed to get out of the stall. She tried to chase the man, but he shoved her away.
Fortunately, Russel Sevier was there. He heard Leslie's calls for help, and went straight into action.
"We heard someone yelling, 'This man is crazy. Lock the door,'" he told ABC 13.
"Nobody was doing anything so I ran all the way down to the end of the building."
Security cameras show that Sevier chased the man and took a picture of him.
"I really think they should separate the men and women's fitting rooms so this won't happen," he said.
No one else tried to help during the situation.
Leslie says she can't get the images of what happened out of her head.
After the incident, Target released a statement. It says, "We want all of our guests to have a safe and welcoming experience whenever they shop at our stores. We will not tolerate this behavior and we are working closely with law enforcement by offering whatever support is needed. Since this is an active investigation, we ask that you direct all further questions to law enforcement."
Similar incidents have been reported since the superstore began allowing people to use restrooms and fitting rooms in accordance with the gender with which they identify.
Zachary Bishop, a 22-year-old from New Hampshire, turned himself in last year after videotaping underage girls in a Target changing room.
The American Family Association (AFA) has highlighted 10 similar incidents on their website.
Their #BoycottTarget petition has received 1.4 million signatures.
"These 10 examples and many more like them are chilling evidence that Target's restroom and fitting room policy—its politically correct answer to a small minority—continues to put women and girls at risk," said Tim Wildmon, President of AFA. "These are not isolated incidents, but rather, the headlines continue to mount."