As per my comment, the NYT ran a big article about it quoting Andrew Pole, a statistician who worked at Target. It specifically says that this really happened.
The part about the teenager in Minneapolis wasn’t from Pole. Re-read the article and you’ll notice that story isn’t attributed to anyone. It’s just stated. We have no idea where this story originated, whether it’s fact or fiction, and if it’s even related to Pole’s work or just a marketing snafu.
Did your research find that story to be a fraud?