San Jose, California, resident Conteh Moore said she was a racially profiled, stopped and searched by a Macy's employee while shopping at the store.

Moore, who teaches autistic children, said a sales associate took off her sweater and searched her purse for a bottle of cologne during a visit to the store on May 8.

“They searched my purse and stripped my sweater off me,” Moore said.

There was no cologne on her person nor in her purse. But the employee escalated the situation. Moore told NBC Bay Area that the associate loudly accused her of stealing in front of other shoppers despite there being no indication of her stealing.

“I feel so humiliated, and up until now, I am still feeling the pain,” Moore said.

The sales associate even remarked black people like her have been stealing from the store before as a way to justify the stop and search. 

"She said, ‘People like you have been stealing from Macy’s, stealing stuff,’” Moore recalled.

Macy's has released a statement apologizing and claiming that the store customers' Bill of Rights prohibits racial profiling.  

“We apologize,” the company said in a statement. “The situation is currently under investigation and is being reviewed. Macy’s is a company that values acceptance, respect and integrity and does not tolerate discrimination of any type.”

NBC Bay Area reports that a store can search purses if there is a probable cause of a theft but cannot ask costumers to remove articles of clothing. 

Unfortunately, it may be too late for an apology; Moore plans to take legal action against Macy's.