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In December, two former Target employees filed separate lawsuits against the retailer, alleging they went into work one day, were taken into a back room by human resources and loss prevention staff, accused of stealing money from the company, and threatened with criminal and civil charges unless they agreed to sign statements confessing to theft and promising to pay back the money.

The pair didn't know each other but shared similarities. Both worked at Target stores in Los Angeles County: Sierra Vidal in Westwood, Aaliyah Shepherd in Inglewood. Both were young women of color: Vidal, who is Dominican/Pacific Islander, was 21 when the lawsuit was filed, while Shepherd, who is Black, was 18 when Target hired her in 2020. Both had reached out to Los Angeles attorney Toni Jaramilla after they saw news reports about another civil rights lawsuit she was filing against Target.