Dallas woman says store discriminated against her

A Dallas business owner believes she was the victim of racial discrimination.

The woman was trying to buy a gift card at an upscale furniture and home-decor store, but says she was forced to leave empty handed. The store has since launched a discrimination investigation.

As the owner of AMB Credit Consultants, Arnita Johnson-Hall has made plenty of money helping other people rebuild their credit.

Last Saturday, Johnson-Hall says she went to the Z Gallerie store on Knox and Henderson in Dallas to buy her best friend a housewarming gift – a $1,000 gift card.

Johnson-Hall says she gave the cashier with her Z Gallerie credit card and driver's license. Despite the information matching, the manager called the store's security hotline.

She claims she was told she got one security answer incorrect -- which was her father's last name. Johnson-Hall says Z Gallerie had the incorrect last name on file.  Then she says her cell phone rang while she was in the store. It was Z Gallerie verifying it was her.

Johnson-hall was so upset she wrote about it on social media.

In the post, she said a store manager told her it was suspicious. She replied “What's suspicious? A black woman making a $1,000 purchase on her own card in a predominantly white area?”

The post went viral prompting several people to lash out against Z Gallerie.

Z Gallerie released a statement to Fox4 News saying in part "...We would never want anyone to feel unwelcome in our stores. Discrimination... In any form... Is not in line with our company culture or values. We've been in touch with the customer multiple times since her experience... In the hope to resolve this situation... And are reviewing the matter internally."