Mental anguish blamed on false accusations by Sears employee

A woman blames a worker at Sears for causing her severe mental anguish after allegedly wrongly accusing her of stealing items from the store.

Gloria Clark filed a lawsuit Feb. 4 in Jefferson County District Court against Sears, its subsidiaries and its loss prevention agent Milton J. Gilmore.

Clark claims she entered the Sears located at the Parkdale Mall in Beaumont on Feb. 9, 2008, with her hands full of clothing she had purchased at other stores.

While at Sears, Clark began to try on several clothes in the petite women's section while Gilmore followed her around the store and to the mall area, according to the complaint.

"While in the mall area the Defendant detained the Plaintiff, searched the bags and demanded she return to the Defendants' store," the suit states. "While in the store the Defendant, Milton J. Gilmore, verbally abused the Plaintiff, left her in a locked/confined room for a period of over three hours and seized items belonging to the Plaintiff, items purchased at other stores."

Clark alleges false imprisonment, respondeat superior, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, negligence and malice against the defendants.

In addition to the severe mental anguish, Clark suffered emotional distress, extreme embarrassment, humiliation and damage to her good name and reputation; and incurred medical costs, the complaint says.

Clark seeks actual damages, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney's fees, costs and other relief to which she may be entitled.

Kent W. Johns will be representing the plaintiff.

The case has been assigned to Judge Gary Sanderson, 60th District Court.

Jefferson County District Court case number: B185-860.