Texas GameStop Manager Only Sells to Good Students (UPDATE: Manager Suspended)

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http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa070914_lj_brady2.d3cb9c35.html

It may be 'game-over' for a local video game store manager we told you about this week.

Brandon Scott says he started a unique new policy in his store to promote good grades in school but now his employer has sent him to detention for speaking out of turn.

Scott says he's been suspended by GameStop in the wake of his unconventional "games for grades" policy at an Oak Cliff store.

"This is a socially acceptable, responsible thing to do," Scott says.

On his own, Scott decided to stop selling video games to any school-age customer unless an adult would vouch for the student's good grades.

"These kids, they are our future, especially if you sell products to kids," he said.

GameStop declined an on-camera interview but stated in an e-mail: "GameStop is learning about and evaluating Mr. Scott's concept. As always, GameStop maintains its corporate commitment to assisting parents and other consumers in making informed choices."

Scott's story was picked up online and by CNN.

Yesterday afternoon, he did a live national interview.

Online blog and web comments have been largely negative but the community support has been overwhelmingly positive.

"Everyone needs a good education and I totally support him because my rules at home are: You don't make the grade, you don't play," said parent Kenisha Jones.

"It's just one store setting a standard for the community, and it shouldn't have been a problem," said Raquel Brown.

Scott says he's unsure whether his suspension was due to the unorthodox policy, or because he spoke to the media.

But says he remains committed to making a difference, regardless of the label.

"I wouldn't say rebel, but I can be rebellious. I can fight for what I believe in," he said.
Click to expand...

If you want to buy games from a certain GameStop in Texas, you’d better make sure your grades are in check, first.

A GameStop manager in southern Dallas, Texas is requiring children who come to the store to purchase games to have their parents confirm that they are getting good grades. And not only that, but the kids have to mind their manners, too.

“They know when they come in here, they do not curse, they do not use the N-word, pull your clothes up,” Brandon Scott, the GameStop manager, said in a recent article by WFAA-TV. “I’m probably going to get in trouble for this, but to me it’s worth it, because the kids understand that somebody cares.”

Some students might think this is a bit harsh, but he’s all about the giving, too.

“If you give me straight As with your teachers signature, endorsing it and your parent up here, I’ll buy you a brand new game,” Scott said in the article.

It will be interesting to see if anyone higher up in the GameStop chain of command will take any action. Retailers do have the right to refuse service to anyone, but I’m not sure if any retailers have come up with anything like this before.

The GameStop in question is located along the I-20 in Texas, though no specific information was given in the article.

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to post the article source. Here it is:

http://news.filefront.com/texas-gamestop-manager-only-sells-to-good-students/
 
[quote name='ananag112']“They know when they come in here, they do not curse, they do not use the N-word, pull your clothes up,” Brandon Scott, the GameStop manager, said in a recent article by WFAA-TV. “I’m probably going to get in trouble for this, but to me it’s worth it, because the kids understand that somebody cares.”

[/quote]

He is well within his right to do this part.
 
[quote name='ananag112']

“If you give me straight As with your teachers signature, endorsing it and your parent up here, I’ll buy you a brand new game,” Scott said in the article.

/quote]

WTF! I could have gotten so many free games if I lived in Texas! His store will be going out of business pretty soon if he actually does this.
 
That's not too bad of an idea actually. It will make kids do their homework which is very important (just like me). ;)

But then again, it will hurt sales.
 
He's well within his right to do all of it. And the market will decide. If parents like buying games from someone who cares about their kid's education more than dumbasses with straight Fs stop going, he'll be prosperous. If the reverse is true, business will go down. Capitalism at its finest.


Personally I'd be more likely to shop at this store than others, if I was in the neighborhood and if my kid wasn't 2 months old. :) Actually, if I was in the neighborhood, I'd buy stuff for myself there anway, just because I like the way he thinks.
 
This will be interesting. Don't be so sure this is well within his rights. There are statistics that inner city minorities usually do worse in school than whites. There are also perceptions of this. All he needs is one kid to sue and say he's not being served because he's black, and this store is in a whole lot of trouble, and this manager is fired. Why? Because Gamestop will step in, settle it, and fire him, to stop the contraversy.

So, this is a payday waiting a minority that is too stupid to get good grades.

It's a nice idea, and I respect the manager for doing this, but he's soon to be unemployed, and I feel bad for his sake.
 
I don't think the racial discrimination angle would work, since the southern Dallas area is predominantly black, so likely the vast majority of his clientele is as well. If he's making lots of sales to black kids who ARE getting decent grades, then the ones who DO get denied is not because they're black, it's because they're lazy. Just like if he throws them out for cursing, it's not racial discrimination. Kids who are well-behaved can shop there, regardless of their race. Likewise, kids who are not can't, also regardless of race.

And if he's denying sales to a majority of black kids because of grades, his store will be out of buisness due to poor revenue before anybody has a chance to file a suit.
 
[quote name='geko29']And if he's denying sales to a majority of black kids because of grades, his store will be out of buisness due to poor revenue before anybody has a chance to file a suit.[/QUOTE]

My my my, someone decided to throw down the race gauntlet virtually unbaited.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']My my my, someone decided to throw down the race gauntlet virtually unbaited.[/quote] Um, no. I already established that the vast majority of his customers are black. The poster above me was claiming that he would be up for a lawsuit if he denied sales to a couple of kids due to poor grades where they'd be able to claim racisim. I don't believe this is the case, because the vast majority of his customers would still be able to buy because they're making decent grades, and they're black as well. If he WAS turning enough kids away that such a claim could even be remotely considered to pass muster, then sales would have fallen far enough that it wouldn't matter anyway.

There's absolutely nothing racist about that. You read too much into things, my friend. :)
 
[quote name='mykevermin']My my my, someone decided to throw down the race gauntlet virtually unbaited.[/quote]

Well, the majority of the population in south Dallas is black I believe, and is considered the most dangerous and poverty-stricken part of the city.
 
Sucks for those with sucky grades, but the free game incentive would be motivation enough for me to get my act together if I were still in school.
 
[quote name='geko29']Um, no. I already established that the vast majority of his customers are black. The poster above me was claiming that he would be up for a lawsuit if he denied sales to a couple of kids due to poor grades where they'd be able to claim racisim. I don't believe this is the case, because the vast majority of his customers would still be able to buy because they're making decent grades, and they're black as well. If he WAS turning enough kids away that such a claim could even be remotely considered to pass muster, then sales would have fallen far enough that it wouldn't matter anyway.

There's absolutely nothing racist about that. You read too much into things, my friend. :)[/QUOTE]

Hmm. I suppose I see where you're coming from, but if you reread that second part of your post, I hope you can see how it can be easily interpreted wrong.

The other side of the "you read to much into things" coin is "I don't have my head buried in the sand about the way our society thinks and acts." ;)
 
I think this is a neat idea, however...

-Corporate might tell him to stop it or just plain and simply fire him as he is doing something NOT approved by HQ.

-Him agreeing to buy kids games for getting straight "A's" is going to cost him BIG TIME. He won't be able to afford all those games on his salary.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']-Him agreeing to buy kids games for getting straight "A's" is going to cost him BIG TIME. He won't be able to afford all those games on his salary.[/QUOTE]

What makes you all think he's buying them brand new $50/60 games?

Moreover, his requirements are tough, but manageable: a parent in the store at the time of purchase, plus a signed report card from the teacher. So, you have to have an engaged student performing well, along with a concerned teacher and a parent who gives a fuck about their children. Those are three things that don't come together well in poor urban areas. So, while this is not as much of an empty gesture as Steve Jobs' recent announcement of a $7000 rebate for Apple Lisa owners, this probably ranks about a 6/10, with "free CAG bracelets" being a 1 and the Lisa rebate being a "10."
 
[quote name='mykevermin'] So, while this is not as much of an empty gesture as Steve Jobs' recent announcement of a $7000 rebate for Apple Lisa owners, this probably ranks about a 6/10, with "free CAG bracelets" being a 1 and the Lisa rebate being a "10."[/QUOTE]

*cough*

Wasn't the Lisa rebate a joke?

Unless the joke site I read it on was read by Jobs, who actually turned around and said "yeah that's a good idea."
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']But then again, it will hurt sales.[/quote]Possibly. Or it might have people go out of their way to bring their business to that store, if they appreciate his ethics.

[quote name='shieryda']Discrimination, in one way or another.[/quote]Are we talking about lazy vs hard working, racially or against those with disabilities?
 
Bravo. Nice to see at least one Gamestop is taking an interest in the well-being of their community. If I lived within an hour of the store, I'd visit and thank him in person.
 
Home office is around Dallas. He'll know pretty quickly if they're pissed. Also as a manager he would know he isn't allowed to talk to the media about his work.

Still, I like the idea tho'
 
[quote name='guinaevere']Are we talking about lazy vs hard working, smart vs stupid, or racially?[/quote]

Well - some kids get bad grades because they have learning disabilities like dyslexia. No need to call them lazy or stupid - that's just going to exacerbate the problem.

Now problem kids - the ones who could do well but decide to disrupt class and always look for attention - feel free to call them out.
 
I just watched the movie "Coach Carter" the other night - good movie.

I think if you really want to help the kids, you teach them math or coach the bball team. IMO it's not the job of the local Gamestore manager to act like a surrogate parent.

The "takes a village" school of thought is just not going to work in the fluid, fast-paced 21st century, besides does society really need the ethics of Joe Nobody shoved down our throats every time we want to purchase a game?

The problem with this kind of policing is that most people may think it's OK when it's Gamestore and the kids - but it breaks down when a rogue Walgreens pharmacist refuses to sell the Pill to women because he doesn't believe in contraception. It's actually wrong in either case - just more evident in the latter.
 
Camoor is in this topic and hasn't ranted about fascism yet. Hmmm.

Though that does put us dangerously close to "all intellectual property should be free because that is what the artists want."
 
[quote name='Strell']Though that does put us dangerously close to "all intellectual property should be free because that is what the artists want."[/quote]

Not to go OT, but the purpose of intellectual property laws is to drive innovation by compensating the IP content creators. IP should reflect the wishes of the artist/creators to a reasonable degree, the current "black and white" copyright system does not allow this, and we need a creative commons type of solution. And IMO 100+ years of copyright protection after an artwork was created (AKA the Mickey Mouse law) is not reasonable.
 
[quote name='Strell']*cough*

Wasn't the Lisa rebate a joke?

Unless the joke site I read it on was read by Jobs, who actually turned around and said "yeah that's a good idea."[/QUOTE]

Probably. Now that you mention it, I don't know how the hell I could have been suckered by that. But I was.

It's what happens in the haze of two weeks' straight of offender background checks and census data mining.

[quote name='camoor']I just watched the movie "Coach Carter" the other night - good movie.

I think if you really want to help the kids, you teach them math or coach the bball team. IMO it's not the job of the local Gamestore manager to act like a surrogate parent.

The "takes a village" school of thought is just not going to work in the fluid, fast-paced 21st century, besides does society really need the ethics of Joe Nobody shoved down our throats every time we want to purchase a game?

The problem with this kind of policing is that most people may think it's OK when it's Gamestore and the kids - but it breaks down when a rogue Walgreens pharmacist refuses to sell the Pill to women because he doesn't believe in contraception. It's actually wrong in either case - just more evident in the latter.[/QUOTE]

I don't think that wage workers take the same kind of oaths and ethics lessons that pharmacists do, nor is the importance of each product they shill even comparable. You're dealing with a slippery slope here.

As for whether or not GS should be doing it - someone fuckin' has to.

"Coach Carter." :rofl:
 
I figured the line about "But this is ok for Jobs, who would lose about $70,000" was the tip off.

That and it was on bbspot.com if I remember correctly.
 
[quote name='camoor']The problem with this kind of policing is that most people may think it's OK when it's Gamestore and the kids - but it breaks down when a rogue Walgreens pharmacist refuses to sell the Pill to women because he doesn't believe in contraception. It's actually wrong in either case - just more evident in the latter.[/quote] Last I checked, Gamestop employees weren't required to swear a legal oath that they will provide games to anyone who "needs" them. Not even if they're a manager.

I also don't remember any cases of kids being doomed to a life of poverty, were unable to attend college, or died because they weren't allowed to buy Super Mario III at a particular Babbage's store. Though there are numerous such cases involving kids with poor grades......hmmmm.
 
[quote name='Strell']I figured the line about "But this is ok for Jobs, who would lose about $70,000" was the tip off.

That and it was on bbspot.com if I remember correctly.[/QUOTE]

I see. I'm damnfool enough to subscribe to a number of qj.net rss feeds (qj.net: sending PS3/360 news to every fucking site we have since 2005!), and I think that's where I picked up on it.

Back to GS, I don't think this guy is going to have a remarkable number of takers (shame, that), and probably isn't offering a brand new copy of Blue Dragon, but, rather, Madden 2007.
 
[quote name='camoor']Well - some kids get bad grades because they have learning disabilities like dyslexia. No need to call them lazy or stupid - that's just going to exacerbate the problem.[/quote]Having been diagnosed with a learning disability on my kindgergarten entrance test, I made the choice at a young age to work harder to get a good grade. Wish I could say it was simple, but it was a strugle to keep around a 3.8/3.9 through my academic career.

But your point is definately well taken. I shall ammend my earlier post.
 
[quote name='camoor']
The problem with this kind of policing is that most people may think it's OK when it's Gamestore and the kids - but it breaks down when a rogue Walgreens pharmacist refuses to sell the Pill to women because he doesn't believe in contraception. It's actually wrong in either case - just more evident in the latter.[/quote]

I see where you're coming from, but I'd hope people would judge these things on a case by case basis. I think this guy is just trying to encourage kids not to swear and get good grades, an aim I hope most people would support.
 
You could hit the jackpot if you were good at photshop. There's o way he can know what every school's report cards look like and if the sigs are legit.
 
I like it, but I bet some commie race-baiter will get involved and put a clog in it. And I find myself agreeing on a topic with mykevermin. Wow. ;)
 
Hey, dallow, we should go check that store out.

I have a 4.0 GPA for the summer term, and I trust that he wouldn't dare discriminate against me just because I'm a little older.

I'll shave right before I go... just to be on a safe side.

Shit, my parents live a few hours away, though... You think if I bring my wife and she'll be like "yes, he is an EXCELLENT student, and he behaves quite well, and does most things I tell him to, and he always asks before doing super freaky stuff in the bedroom, and he never asked me to put a finger in his brown starfish - not even experimenting or anything. And he's so nice to my family - he got my little sister a Wii, and then showed her how to play it, until he was absolutely sure she understood (it took about 7 hours of showcasing various games, but mostly Zelda). And last night, he prepared cilantro and I only had to ask him twice!"

I think I smell a free game.
 
I'd like to hear what his District Manager thinks about this. It's the DMs who the blood-thirsty "sell at all costs" type.
 
[quote name='benjamouth']I see where you're coming from, but I'd hope people would judge these things on a case by case basis. I think this guy is just trying to encourage kids not to swear and get good grades, an aim I hope most people would support.[/quote]

Yeah, these arguements get really seductive when your motives are for "the good of the children"

I was watching some dopey news program last night and they were talking to some fundie parent group that was advocating taking down all pron off the internet for the good of the children. Hey - I think we can all agree that kids shouldn't see that stuff, but do we really want to enact laws that eliminate it for everyone?

I agree with the no swearing part, in my book the right to refuse service to such people is a given. But for the good grades part, IMO it's over the line - he doesn't know the kid's situation! I say this with anecdotal experience - someone close to me, all of a sudden, developed juvenile diabetes which is a chronic condition that caused mood-swings and concentration lapses until she learned to control it. She wanted to take some time off but she had a lousy hardnosed teacher who didn't let her drop his class and take a W (halfway through the season) because he said he was teaching her a real life lesson - the teacher said the only way she was getting out was to complete the course or take a Fail. I'd hate to think of her trying to get her mind off the situation on a weekend, walking into a store, and having the guy tell her she's too stupid/lazy to shop in his store.

I'm not saying I necessarily think it's illegal or should be illegal, but I def do not like it.
 
Fifty bucks says this guy will be jobless by the end of the week. The last thing Gamestop corporate wants to hear is that one of their store managers is refusing to take peoples money.
 
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