‘Utterly humiliated' customer files suit against restaurant for giving her the boot over crop-top dress
A Louisiana nurse is suing a local restaurant for discrimination after she was refused service for allegedly violating its dress code in a floral crop top and ankle-length skirt.
Y'Mine McClanhan, who is Black, was left feeling 'utterly humiliated' after the incident at Stab's Prime Steak and Seafood in Baton Rouge in July last year, her attorneys, Most & Associates, wrote.
A lawsuit filed in federal court last week stated that McClanahan had gone to the restaurant for lunch wearing the outfit, which cost $75 from H&M. She had worn it several times previously without issue.
Upon arrival she was refused service, with an employee explaining that the outfit violated Stab's 'business casual' dress code.
However, the suit states, McClanahan's outfit did not fall under any of the specifically banned items listed in the online policy.
According to the suit, when she pushed further about the issue with her outfit, the restaurant's co-owner told her that her clothing was 'just too revealing at the top.'
McClanhan was 'shocked' at the refusal of service, 'especially because white patrons and employees at Stab's were wearing less appropriate attire.' The lawsuit included pictures of various patrons – shared by Stab's on social media – who were dressed similarly or in a more revealing manner.
A white waitress working on the day of the incident was also wearing fishnets and short-shorts, the suit notes.
'To be publicly discriminated against was extremely humiliating for Ms. McClanhan and, furthermore, it was illegal,' the filing states. 'After Ms. McClanahan left Stab's, she went to a nearby restaurant where she was not only served, but received several compliments on her outfit.'
McClanahan was 'utterly humiliated by this act of discrimination,' the suit states.The attorneys wrote that if it is proven that Stab's selectively applied the dress code because she is Black, the venue would have violated state law and the Civil Rights Act.
They added that the restaurant would also be liable for negligence if it can be proven that staff failed to apply the dress code 'in an equitable and non-discriminatory fashion.'
Speaking to WAFB News following the incident she said: 'I left feeling kind of mortified, violated, ashamed and really humiliated because I had never had something happen like this to me as a working professional.
'You feel alienated and it's like well what's wrong with me. What's the problem with me?'Despite several months having passed since the incident occurred, McClanahan continues to feel humiliated and ashamed 'as a result of the double-standard Stab's showed to her versus white patrons and employees,' the lawsuit states.
McClanhan has requested a trial by jury and damages of an unspecified amount.
In a statement issued to WAFB at the time of the incident, Stab's management said: 'We have a dress code policy that we ask our customers to observe. A few times a month we speak with our guests about their attire, including asking them to remove baseball hats in our restaurant.
'Contrary to reports, our attire policy is not new, it has been in effect for over three years now. We spoke with a guest yesterday about her attire and she pointed out that we have waitstaff dressed in a manner that might not meet the standard of our attire policy.
'For the last several weeks, we have actually been working on a different uniform so that we are not asking a different standard for our customers than we are requiring of our staff.'
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The Herald Scotland
7 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
What future for Albion Rovers, a storied name of the past?
Unfortunately, for the people the club means the most to, it has come to represent something else entirely over the last few years. Crisis. Relegation. In-fighting. And very nearly, oblivion. 'There's no point in sugarcoating it,' said director Ben Kearney. 'Our approach was just to be honest, which is probably the healthy thing to do. I don't think anybody expected it, that we were just so open to the world in terms of how f****d we were. But I think in a weird roundabout way, it's actually worked out, and not too badly in the end. 'At first, I don't think people were very happy. But I think the fans appreciated that eventually.' (Image: Ciaran Reid)Some context. Rovers were relegated to the Lowland League, the fifth tier of the SPFL pyramid, two years ago. There were no parachute payments, and SPFL prize money has been sorely missed. Crowds have remained steady enough, but can't compensate for that loss of revenue. And it gets worse. To say that the ownership of Rovers is a complicated business is rather like saying the bold, aforementioned Kasule – who came to be known as 'Vodka Vic' - was a wee bit fond of the bevvy. It is suspected that around half of the shares in the club, which were first issued over 100 years ago, are now dormant and untraceable, with the original recipients long dead. The biggest single shareholder (with around 20 percent of the non-dormant shares) is former Scottish FA employee Anton Fagan, son of former owner Tom Fagan, who is the Trappist Monk of silent partners. He does though hold sway over key board appointments, with huge controversy and no little anger sparked by (what was largely his) veto of the reappointment of businessman Stuart Black, Head of Operations of Northwind Leisure, to the club's board at last December's AGM. Cue the resignation of director Margaret Rizza, as well as statements from Rizza and then Black being published on the club's official website savaging Fagan, warning of the club's 'dire financial situation', and beseeching him to present an alternative plan to Black's strategy of turning the Rovers into a 'sustainable Lowland League club'. 'I think the problem for me, and I've always been very open about this, is I would just wish people would be involved,' said Kearney. 'If you have a large shareholder in the club, make your involvement clear. Come and talk to the board of directors, let us know what you want to do, what you think the club's going to do. Have a conversation with us. 'But if there's no contact and we don't have that kind of dialogue, then it is difficult because you are always thinking, 'what's around the corner?' 'One of the main problems we've had is trying to get people on the board of directors, it's nigh on impossible, because no one wants to go on a board of directors that doesn't really have any power. (Image: Ciaran Reid)'And in truth we don't, because at the end of the day, when it comes along to the AGM every year, there's a chance that you could just be voted off. It goes to a poll vote, someone who's got most of the power, it can only go the way that they want it to, which is difficult. 'When you think of what happened last year, we had the situation where someone was put up for the board of directors who we felt was doing a great job, someone who had experience, who has a background high up in Soccer World, who own loads of places across Scotland. 'If people are actually involved in this type of thing - community football, running camps, stuff like that, someone who's got that experience, and also someone who's just experienced helping run a business - a massive business - and then for whatever reason, he doesn't get voted on, that is difficult. 'But people always say that that's the one thing holding Albion Rovers back. I don't think that's fair. I think what's held Albion Rovers back is the club hasn't been run well enough from top to bottom for years and years and years.' As Kearney says, in the absence of that clarity from their largest shareholder, he and his fellow directors were faced with a stark choice; either admit defeat and watch their beloved club whither and die, or come up with their own plan to make Rovers an indisputable asset to the Coatbridge community. 'I think one thing that I've always said from the outset when I joined the board, which probably isn't what most other people say, is I've kind of put [the ownership issue] to one side,' he said. 'My opinion on that is that there's no point trying to change something that you can't change. And I think the structure of a football club is something that would be very difficult to change. 'So, what can we do? Well, I think it's very easy to say you're a community club. We are a community club in the aspect of we've got a lot of older fans, we've got a community trust that does great work. We have walking groups and things like that, and we do stuff with the Prince's Trust and all of these type of things. 'But in terms of the actual football club itself, our community trust do a great job, our supporters trust do a good job, but in terms of the football club, over the years has it even done what I think would be simple stuff? 'One thing we're doing at the moment is we're talking to different local teams about partnering up with them to see if we can have an Albion Rovers umbrella, as such, under the first team. It's things like that. Can you really call yourself a community club if you don't actually have community teams? I don't think you can. 'I think the goal for the club in the medium term is can we get to a point where we can somehow get an artificial surface that allows us to turn Cliftonhill into Coatbridge's community hub. 'Can we have a situation where we've got an Albion Rovers community club that have got loads of younger players, loads of younger teams? Can we have an Albion Rovers women's team at one point that's going to play in the Scottish women's football system, all these things? (Image: Ciaran Reid)'That's the type of goal we want to get to. That it isn't just about the first team. Actually, you can be a sustainable, community club. There are loads of these types of clubs that have got that kind of infrastructure in place. 'It probably doesn't sound as sexy as saying, 'oh, we want to try and get into the SPFL and League Two and push for League One'. Actually, that's probably a wee bit further away, and there has to be an honesty in that.' Honesty, and more pertinently, transparency around finances in Scottish football is a hot-button issue, with the troubles faced by other clubs such as Dumbarton, Inverness and Stenhousemuir bringing the debate over whether an independent regulator is required to oversee things like the distribution of finances in the game back into the game's consciousness. 'I really do think it's a precarious time for Scottish football clubs,' Kearney said. 'I don't think we're the only club that's got problems with money, I think we're probably one of the only ones that have been so candid about it. I think you'd struggle to find a club that's got a lot of money sitting in the bank and feels quite positive about where the next few months are going to go. 'I think a lot of clubs are looking the other way, which is how can they survive for another year, which is kind of a sad indictment, it really is. 'It is interesting, the question of an independent regulator. I know there's a lot of clubs that are really for it. In an ideal world, I think having an independent regulator would help, but whether it would actually be something that's achievable, I'm not sure. 'The Lowland League clubs actually met with Maree Todd, the Minister for Sport, last year, and that was one of the topics that we had brought up. At the time, she did seem genuinely interested in the Lowland League's message, but the message that we got back was that England was a different kettle of fish from Scotland, and I didn't get any vibe from the room that it would be coming down the line any time soon. 'I don't see it being something that will happen in Scotland to be honest, because of the various factors that would make it difficult. Do I think in the long run it would be something beneficial? Yes, probably. 'But it's the same as anything, when you have bodies making decisions, people are going to say this or that. If you can take that away and have an independent body that's going to decide something, that's always going to be beneficial. But whether it would actually work in Scotland, I don't know. 'I was talking to Linlithgow Rose president John Mahoney and he actually made a good point. It could be some sort of ombudsman, it doesn't have to be as big as England, it could be something of a smaller scale. But it's someone independent of everyone else who you can go to with a problem. 'Something like that to me sounds great, but whether it would actually happen or not, I'm not sure.' Back at Rovers, as well as cuts to the salaries of manager Sandy Clark and assistant George Paterson, cutting their cloth has meant trying to piece together a competitive team who will play only for expenses. But this is viewed by Kearney as necessary steps back in order to eventually take a step forward. (Image: Ciaran Reid)'A lot of soul searching has been required, and we needed that,' he said. 'I think the problem for Albion Rovers when we first went down was that we tried to still be at that SPFL level. Actually, when you look at the infrastructure of the club, where we are, do we deserve to be anywhere above the Lowland League? Probably not at this moment in time. 'Until you can actually become a club that can run sustainably in the Lowland League, let's not try and think about getting back to the SPFL, because you're not going to get there anyway. You're just going to waste money that you don't have. 'I think having Sandy is massive, I really do. It's key that the football club have someone at the helm who's got that real experience in football. We've got someone who really understands the game, has lots of contacts, even simple things like the new co-operation system that's coming into play. 'Having a pro licence manager who knows just about everyone in Scotland when they're going down the route, and maybe you're going to have younger guys in the team that are going to be on loan from other football clubs, it's massive. 'He's bought into the whole project. He's been a massive support to the current board of directors and the previous board as well. I think he really gets the football club, and it is massive to have someone of that kind of stature involved. 'It would be very easy for Sandy to just call it a day, and it's the same for his assistant George too, which says a lot about them as characters.' The co-operation agreements that Kearney references could, he believes, be a fruitful avenue for Rovers to explore, and he is hopeful that an agreement with a club higher up the ladder can soon be finalised. 'We've spoken to a good few clubs,' he said. 'Sandy would kill me if I told you who! But Sandy's got some good friends in the game, there's plenty of clubs he's spoken to already and we're quite well down the line with that, which is helpful. 'I think it's a good thing. That's something I think will really help. I think it's the type of road Scottish football needs to go down. I certainly think it will benefit clubs like Albion Rovers, clubs that are willing to give younger players a chance. 'We've got that record of bringing younger guys on loan and letting them go on to better things. So, I think that will really help. 'Sandy's been in contact with a couple of Premiership teams and I think the response he's had has been wholly positive, so I'm sure before the start of this season we'll certainly have an agreement with someone that will be beneficial for both clubs.' Some reasons to be optimistic then perhaps, at long last, for fans of the wee Rovers, who have remained steadfastly loyal throughout their club's recent tribulations. It is for them that Kearney feels the collective responsibility, along with the rest of the board, in giving them a club to be proud of again. He is certainly proud of their own response to adversity, rallying around their club by signing up to the 'Rovers Return' funding initiative in large numbers, where for a monthly payment, you can gain benefits like having your name on the team jerseys, while helping to secure the club's future. 'I reckon Albion Rovers could play in the West of Scotland's 4th Division and the same people would still come because it's just part of their lives, part of their Saturday,' he said. (Image: Ciaran Reid) 'Which is amazing really, because you'd think people would eventually get bored or whatever, but obviously it just shows Albion Rovers has got to be a way of life, almost. 'It's still Albion Rovers. It really is a special football club. In terms of Scottish football, I don't think there are many more clubs that have got that kind of brand recognition, almost. 'We don't have to do a lot for people to know that we are what we are. When you come to the stadium, it's iconic. Everybody knows about the place. 'That is something that's really helpful actually. I think that is a big bonus. It really is something to kind of hold on to, that history and identity we've got, and that's something we'll always do.' The name of Albion Rovers may mean something slightly different in the future, then, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing. It still means something.
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
What future for Albion Rovers, a storied name of the past?
But the name means something. Unfortunately, for the people the club means the most to, it has come to represent something else entirely over the last few years. Crisis. Relegation. In-fighting. And very nearly, oblivion. 'There's no point in sugarcoating it,' said director Ben Kearney. 'Our approach was just to be honest, which is probably the healthy thing to do. I don't think anybody expected it, that we were just so open to the world in terms of how f****d we were. But I think in a weird roundabout way, it's actually worked out, and not too badly in the end. 'At first, I don't think people were very happy. But I think the fans appreciated that eventually.' (Image: Ciaran Reid)Some context. Rovers were relegated to the Lowland League, the fifth tier of the SPFL pyramid, two years ago. There were no parachute payments, and SPFL prize money has been sorely missed. Crowds have remained steady enough, but can't compensate for that loss of revenue. And it gets worse. To say that the ownership of Rovers is a complicated business is rather like saying the bold, aforementioned Kasule – who came to be known as 'Vodka Vic' - was a wee bit fond of the bevvy. It is suspected that around half of the shares in the club, which were first issued over 100 years ago, are now dormant and untraceable, with the original recipients long dead. The biggest single shareholder (with around 20 percent of the non-dormant shares) is former Scottish FA employee Anton Fagan, son of former owner Tom Fagan, who is the Trappist Monk of silent partners. He does though hold sway over key board appointments, with huge controversy and no little anger sparked by (what was largely his) veto of the reappointment of businessman Stuart Black, Head of Operations of Northwind Leisure, to the club's board at last December's AGM. Cue the resignation of director Margaret Rizza, as well as statements from Rizza and then Black being published on the club's official website savaging Fagan, warning of the club's 'dire financial situation', and beseeching him to present an alternative plan to Black's strategy of turning the Rovers into a 'sustainable Lowland League club'. 'I think the problem for me, and I've always been very open about this, is I would just wish people would be involved,' said Kearney. 'If you have a large shareholder in the club, make your involvement clear. Come and talk to the board of directors, let us know what you want to do, what you think the club's going to do. Have a conversation with us. 'But if there's no contact and we don't have that kind of dialogue, then it is difficult because you are always thinking, 'what's around the corner?' 'One of the main problems we've had is trying to get people on the board of directors, it's nigh on impossible, because no one wants to go on a board of directors that doesn't really have any power. (Image: Ciaran Reid)'And in truth we don't, because at the end of the day, when it comes along to the AGM every year, there's a chance that you could just be voted off. It goes to a poll vote, someone who's got most of the power, it can only go the way that they want it to, which is difficult. 'When you think of what happened last year, we had the situation where someone was put up for the board of directors who we felt was doing a great job, someone who had experience, who has a background high up in Soccer World, who own loads of places across Scotland. 'If people are actually involved in this type of thing - community football, running camps, stuff like that, someone who's got that experience, and also someone who's just experienced helping run a business - a massive business - and then for whatever reason, he doesn't get voted on, that is difficult. 'But people always say that that's the one thing holding Albion Rovers back. I don't think that's fair. I think what's held Albion Rovers back is the club hasn't been run well enough from top to bottom for years and years and years.' As Kearney says, in the absence of that clarity from their largest shareholder, he and his fellow directors were faced with a stark choice; either admit defeat and watch their beloved club whither and die, or come up with their own plan to make Rovers an indisputable asset to the Coatbridge community. 'I think one thing that I've always said from the outset when I joined the board, which probably isn't what most other people say, is I've kind of put [the ownership issue] to one side,' he said. 'My opinion on that is that there's no point trying to change something that you can't change. And I think the structure of a football club is something that would be very difficult to change. 'So, what can we do? Well, I think it's very easy to say you're a community club. We are a community club in the aspect of we've got a lot of older fans, we've got a community trust that does great work. We have walking groups and things like that, and we do stuff with the Prince's Trust and all of these type of things. 'But in terms of the actual football club itself, our community trust do a great job, our supporters trust do a good job, but in terms of the football club, over the years has it even done what I think would be simple stuff? 'One thing we're doing at the moment is we're talking to different local teams about partnering up with them to see if we can have an Albion Rovers umbrella, as such, under the first team. It's things like that. Can you really call yourself a community club if you don't actually have community teams? I don't think you can. 'I think the goal for the club in the medium term is can we get to a point where we can somehow get an artificial surface that allows us to turn Cliftonhill into Coatbridge's community hub. 'Can we have a situation where we've got an Albion Rovers community club that have got loads of younger players, loads of younger teams? Can we have an Albion Rovers women's team at one point that's going to play in the Scottish women's football system, all these things? (Image: Ciaran Reid)'That's the type of goal we want to get to. That it isn't just about the first team. Actually, you can be a sustainable, community club. There are loads of these types of clubs that have got that kind of infrastructure in place. 'It probably doesn't sound as sexy as saying, 'oh, we want to try and get into the SPFL and League Two and push for League One'. Actually, that's probably a wee bit further away, and there has to be an honesty in that.' Honesty, and more pertinently, transparency around finances in Scottish football is a hot-button issue, with the troubles faced by other clubs such as Dumbarton, Inverness and Stenhousemuir bringing the debate over whether an independent regulator is required to oversee things like the distribution of finances in the game back into the game's consciousness. 'I really do think it's a precarious time for Scottish football clubs,' Kearney said. 'I don't think we're the only club that's got problems with money, I think we're probably one of the only ones that have been so candid about it. I think you'd struggle to find a club that's got a lot of money sitting in the bank and feels quite positive about where the next few months are going to go. 'I think a lot of clubs are looking the other way, which is how can they survive for another year, which is kind of a sad indictment, it really is. 'It is interesting, the question of an independent regulator. I know there's a lot of clubs that are really for it. In an ideal world, I think having an independent regulator would help, but whether it would actually be something that's achievable, I'm not sure. 'The Lowland League clubs actually met with Maree Todd, the Minister for Sport, last year, and that was one of the topics that we had brought up. At the time, she did seem genuinely interested in the Lowland League's message, but the message that we got back was that England was a different kettle of fish from Scotland, and I didn't get any vibe from the room that it would be coming down the line any time soon. 'I don't see it being something that will happen in Scotland to be honest, because of the various factors that would make it difficult. Do I think in the long run it would be something beneficial? Yes, probably. 'But it's the same as anything, when you have bodies making decisions, people are going to say this or that. If you can take that away and have an independent body that's going to decide something, that's always going to be beneficial. But whether it would actually work in Scotland, I don't know. 'I was talking to Linlithgow Rose president John Mahoney and he actually made a good point. It could be some sort of ombudsman, it doesn't have to be as big as England, it could be something of a smaller scale. But it's someone independent of everyone else who you can go to with a problem. 'Something like that to me sounds great, but whether it would actually happen or not, I'm not sure.' Back at Rovers, as well as cuts to the salaries of manager Sandy Clark and assistant George Paterson, cutting their cloth has meant trying to piece together a competitive team who will play only for expenses. But this is viewed by Kearney as necessary steps back in order to eventually take a step forward. (Image: Ciaran Reid)'A lot of soul searching has been required, and we needed that,' he said. 'I think the problem for Albion Rovers when we first went down was that we tried to still be at that SPFL level. Actually, when you look at the infrastructure of the club, where we are, do we deserve to be anywhere above the Lowland League? Probably not at this moment in time. 'Until you can actually become a club that can run sustainably in the Lowland League, let's not try and think about getting back to the SPFL, because you're not going to get there anyway. You're just going to waste money that you don't have. 'I think having Sandy is massive, I really do. It's key that the football club have someone at the helm who's got that real experience in football. We've got someone who really understands the game, has lots of contacts, even simple things like the new co-operation system that's coming into play. 'Having a pro licence manager who knows just about everyone in Scotland when they're going down the route, and maybe you're going to have younger guys in the team that are going to be on loan from other football clubs, it's massive. 'He's bought into the whole project. He's been a massive support to the current board of directors and the previous board as well. I think he really gets the football club, and it is massive to have someone of that kind of stature involved. 'It would be very easy for Sandy to just call it a day, and it's the same for his assistant George too, which says a lot about them as characters.' The co-operation agreements that Kearney references could, he believes, be a fruitful avenue for Rovers to explore, and he is hopeful that an agreement with a club higher up the ladder can soon be finalised. 'We've spoken to a good few clubs,' he said. 'Sandy would kill me if I told you who! But Sandy's got some good friends in the game, there's plenty of clubs he's spoken to already and we're quite well down the line with that, which is helpful. 'I think it's a good thing. That's something I think will really help. I think it's the type of road Scottish football needs to go down. I certainly think it will benefit clubs like Albion Rovers, clubs that are willing to give younger players a chance. 'We've got that record of bringing younger guys on loan and letting them go on to better things. So, I think that will really help. 'Sandy's been in contact with a couple of Premiership teams and I think the response he's had has been wholly positive, so I'm sure before the start of this season we'll certainly have an agreement with someone that will be beneficial for both clubs.' Some reasons to be optimistic then perhaps, at long last, for fans of the wee Rovers, who have remained steadfastly loyal throughout their club's recent tribulations. It is for them that Kearney feels the collective responsibility, along with the rest of the board, in giving them a club to be proud of again. He is certainly proud of their own response to adversity, rallying around their club by signing up to the 'Rovers Return' funding initiative in large numbers, where for a monthly payment, you can gain benefits like having your name on the team jerseys, while helping to secure the club's future. 'I reckon Albion Rovers could play in the West of Scotland's 4th Division and the same people would still come because it's just part of their lives, part of their Saturday,' he said. (Image: Ciaran Reid) 'Which is amazing really, because you'd think people would eventually get bored or whatever, but obviously it just shows Albion Rovers has got to be a way of life, almost. 'It's still Albion Rovers. It really is a special football club. In terms of Scottish football, I don't think there are many more clubs that have got that kind of brand recognition, almost. 'We don't have to do a lot for people to know that we are what we are. When you come to the stadium, it's iconic. Everybody knows about the place. 'That is something that's really helpful actually. I think that is a big bonus. It really is something to kind of hold on to, that history and identity we've got, and that's something we'll always do.' The name of Albion Rovers may mean something slightly different in the future, then, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing. It still means something.
NBC News
12 hours ago
- NBC News
A juror in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex-trafficking trial is expected to be dismissed
A juror in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial is expected to be dismissed from the case on Monday over inconsistencies about where he lives. The issue came up this week, five weeks into the trial, during a conversation Juror No. 6 had with the jury department, indicating he had moved to New Jersey a few weeks ago to live with his girlfriend. That conversation sparked another discussion among legal counsels, who pressed for more information. Jurors in the case must live in New York state and district courts have broad discretion to replace a juror for any violation. The juror, a 41-year-old Black male who works in communications at a correctional facility, told court officials he was living in a New York apartment during the work week. His story later changed to him living with his daughter and fiancée in the Bronx. At some point, he told court officials he lived with his aunt in the Bronx. Earlier Friday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said he was leaning against dismissing the juror, saying there was likely an innocent explanation for the conflicting answers. But as more details emerged, Subramanian said there were serious concerns about his candor and it appeared the juror either could not follow simple instructions or there was an effort to be deceptive. Subramanian warned that removal of the juror may be required. Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson said the juror answered the question about where he resides as truthfully as possible and suggested bringing him back to court because he wanted to remain on the jury. Prosecutors argued that the juror's removal is necessary to protect the integrity of the court proceedings. The juror said during jury selection that he enjoyed listening to reggaeton and '90s hip-hop, and his hobbies included sports and fantasy football. Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has vociferously denied the allegations against him.
