I sent the following letter to Sprout's CEO. I got a form letter back from customer service. I have supported Sprouts since 2007 when I lived in AZ. I was overjoyed when I moved to FL to find a Sprouts had just opened two miles from my new home, and I was saddened to discover when I recently moved to SC that the only Sprouts is an hour away from me in Greenville. Most of my grocery budget has been spent in your stores for all those years. As a nutritionist, I have literally done field trips in your store to teach clients how to make good food choices. Until now. I don’t wear a mask. Anywhere. I have not been turned away nor has anyone tried to force me to do so, including in your stores. However, when I went to your store in Greenville, I was informed that I could not shop in Sprouts without a mask despite my medical exemption. Your manager, Scott Mashburg, informed me that I had to leave the store immediately if I would not wear a mask on April 15, 2021 at 5:25PM. Despite my telling him I have a medical exemption. Despite me explaining I spend a great deal of money every month in Sprouts. Despite me describing I had driven an hour to shop there. The store was virtually empty (make note of the time of this fact). He gave me a handout from corporate stating the mask requirement because of “Sprout’s commitment to protecting everyone’s wellbeing”. He stated that this could be enforced because Sprouts is privately owned. Privately owned does not mean free rein to discriminate. Be advised that private business has a legal classification as a “public accommodation” according to federal law (Title III Reg 28 CFR 36.104). Federal law 28 CFR 36.202 prohibits denial of participation and equal access or exclusion from the same or equal service as others. Denying me entry, requiring me to be served outdoors, limiting me to home delivery, having someone choose my foods for me, or treating me any differently based on my appearance is also a violation of Title II, III, and VII of the US Civil Rights Act of 1967. US Title 42, Section 12101 states it is unlawful to deny entry to persons with disability or perceived medical conditions. This is also a violation of the American Disabilities Act, who have defined mask exemptions for various conditions and whose fines are steep. The First Amendment to the Constitution also protects my right to appear in a place of public accommodation without limitation. Add that the South Carolina constitution protects the same rights, and the fact that there is not even a mask mandate in this state just like Florida where I had no problem shopping in your stores mask free for the last year, and I believe you will understand that refusal to serve me constitutes unlawful discrimination and violates constitutional, federal, and state laws over and over again. I and all the people who stay away from your business because of this harassment HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO ENTER, SHOP AND BE SERVED AT YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS WITHOUT COVERING OUR FACES. We are protected by federal, state and constitutional law, and are not subject to the whims of business owners and politicians who would have us believe local mandates and private ownership supersede the law and inalienable rights. I am not happy that I must now support Jeff Bezos by health food shopping exclusively at Whole Foods (normally I would go to Sprouts first and then WF only if Sprouts did not have an item), but I shopped in his store just down the street from yours the same day with no mask and no harassment so I will pay more to be able to breathe while I shop for my food. I made other discoveries that day: I shopped at Publix (something I never did before as I relied on Sprouts to provide my needs) and found they have many of the items I would normally buy at Sprouts and some were even less expensive – again, mask free. And in conversation with other unmasked people in stores, I was given contact info for like-minded attorneys who despise businesses and politicians who are overstepping their bounds and are helping those who insist on preserving rights -- pro bono. It’s time that those of us who want to maintain the rights mentioned above scream as loudly as those who live in fear. Are you listening? Or will you watch your “team members” you claim to be protecting lose their jobs because you slowly go out of business (as evidenced by Scott’s own expressed concerns and an empty store at a time when people are looking for dinner items)? I am hoping you will instead focus on your true responsibility: providing excellent groceries at fair prices, great customer service, and employment for people who need it. If you want to wear a mask while you do that, we won’t ask you to remove it even though it covers your welcoming smile. It is each of our own responsibility and choice to protect our health in ways that really work for us. God bless America. Land of the free.