Latest news with #Stab's
Miami Herald
23-04-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Too revealing.' Louisiana restaurant refuses to serve woman over outfit, suit says
A Louisiana woman is suing what used to be one of her favorite restaurants, saying she was refused service over an outfit she wore to the eatery in July. But she had on the same two-piece outfit — a floral strapless top and matching ankle-length skirt — when she dined at Stab's Prime Steak and Seafood in Baton Rouge two weeks earlier, according to her lawsuit filed April 18 in federal court. The venue is one of two Stab's locations in Baton Rouge. Y'Mine McClanahan still feels 'humiliated and ashamed' from when the steak house's co-owner publicly turned her away, telling her that her outfit was 'too revealing' on July 23, the complaint says. She was told by the co-owner that her outfit went against the Stab's 'business casual' dress code, according to the complaint. Part of the exchange was filmed by McClanahan, her attorneys wrote in the filing. At the time, McClanahan, a nurse who lives in Baton Rouge, was the vice president of the NAACP's local Baton Rouge chapter and had regularly dined at Stab's. Now she's an executive committee member of the Baton Rouge NAACP, her attorney said. McClanahan, who's Black, accuses the restaurant of having discriminatory, double standards in favor of white patrons when it comes to dress code enforcement because, according to her lawsuit, white patrons and employees have worn 'less appropriate attire.' Stab's didn't immediately return McClatchy News' request for comment April 23. McClanahan is represented by attorneys William Most and David Lanser, of Most & Associates in New Orleans. 'Ms. McClanahan decided to bring this lawsuit to ensure that selective enforcement of dress code policy and other forms of discrimination are not tolerated in restaurants and other public places,' Lanser said in an emailed statement to McClatchy News on April 23. McClanahan's lawsuit argues that white patrons and employees wore similar or 'even more revealing attire,' and were still seated by Stab's. The filing shows eight photos as examples, including five images of customers from the restaurant's social media page, according to McClanahan's attorneys. In one photo of an employee, a still image from a video McClanahan had recorded, a server is seen 'wearing fishnets and short-shorts,' the complaint says. McClanahan ultimately left Stab's and visited a different Baton Rouge restaurant, where she had a more positive experience following the 'extremely humiliating' denial of service on July 23, according to her lawsuit. At the restaurant, her attorneys wrote 'she was not only served, but received several compliments on her outfit.' Lawsuit asks for a jury trial McClanahan asks for a jury trial with her lawsuit and also seeks relief, a declaratory judgment and an unspecified amount in damages. She's suing Stab's on three causes of action: violations of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal law that prohibits discrimination in public locations, violations of Louisiana state law and negligence. 'Stab's committed negligence in its failure to apply the dress code in an equitable and non-discriminatory fashion,' the lawsuit says.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘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, Louisiana, in July, her attorneys from 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 at H&M. She had worn it several times previously without issue. When she arrived, 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 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.'
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘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 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.'
