Minnie's Food Pantry founder calls for change after false theft accusation at Dillard's

There are new demands for policy changes at a North Texas department store over claims of racial profiling.

It stems from a recorded encounter earlier this month when the founder of a well-known nonprofit said she was falsely accused of stealing.

“I’ve never been like this,” said Cheryl Jackson, visibly shaken after her encounter on May 5.

Jackson said she visited Dillard’s in Fairview Town Center to shop for butterfly jewelry, an annual ritual to remember her mom, Minnie Hawthorne-Ewing, who died on May 7, 2015.

Jackson founded Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano in 2008 to honor her mother. The nonprofit now has 12 locations in three states and has provided over 21 million healthy meals to families in need, according to its website.

During the shopping trip to Dillard’s earlier this month, Jackson said she was stopped from leaving the store and accused by a police officer and a store employee of trying to steal earrings.

She recorded part of the encounter on her cellphone.

The store employee is heard saying, “Our camera said that you had earrings in your pocket, which you didn't pay for it."

About a minute later, another employee said, “There was a mistake. I'm so sorry.”

“Tell me the mistake,” requested Jackson.

“It would be the merchandise was located,” the employee said.

Jackson said she had put the jewelry down after deciding not to buy it. After about a 15-minute exchange, Jackson left the store in tears.

"I felt humiliated, and I thought, 'Is this what it's coming down to? All these years of service, and my mom's name is going to be destroyed by this right here?' and it's wrong," said Jackson.

Thursday, a "Rally for Policy Changes" was held outside the store. Jackson said she didn’t want to come.

“But I could hear my mother speaking, saying 'Protect my name,'” Jackson told a couple of dozen supporters over a bullhorn.

Members of the NAACP and Jackson’s attorney, Daryl Washington, also attended the rally demanding a public apology and changes to Dillard’s loss prevention policies and procedures.

“What happened to Dr. Jackson was horrible. I mean, you have defamation of character; you’re talking about detaining someone and accusing them of theft. That's a serious allegation,” said Washington.

Dillard’s did not respond to NBC 5’s request for comment.

According to a previous media report, Dillard’s apologized to Jackson and said it is looking into the matter internally.

Thursday, Jackson said she returned more than $300 worth of shoes she bought from Dillard’s and cut up her Dillard’s credit card in the parking lot, vowing to get change one way or another.

“I’ve been hungry to feed people, but now I’m hungry because this is an injustice,” said Jackson.