American Eagle sues San Francisco mall for failing to protect the fashion retailer’s staff from ‘gun violence, physical assaults, burglaries and robberies’

Main Idea: American Eagle has sued Westfield in San Francisco Superior Court, saying the mall landlord failed to protect store workers from repeated violence and crime.

Key Points:

• The lawsuit says workers faced more than 100 security incidents over about a year, including gun threats, assaults, burglaries, and robberies.
• American Eagle says Westfield let the mall fall into neglect and broke lease promises by failing to keep common areas safe.
• The retailer says it spent far more on security to protect staff while Westfield shifted blame to San Francisco.
• The case comes as other retailers and businesses have also pulled back from downtown San Francisco because of safety and foot traffic problems.