Former NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll accuses Atlanta restaurant of discrimination: NBA News
Former NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll has filed a lawsuit against an Atlanta based restaurant ‘Tavern at Phipps’ on account of discriminating attitude.
According to Carroll, he was sitting with a friend Joseph Shaw in the restaurant when the management asked them to give up their seats for two white women. Joe Barry and Shaw claim that the act of discrimination was exercised because
they were black.
The incident took place in August 2006 when Joe Barry and Joseph Shaw were having drinks at the famous Atlanta restaurant’s bar. Two white women came in the bar, which was full to capacity and provoked the management of the bar
to ask Carroll and his friend to relinquish their seats for them. When the men refused to give up their seats, restaurant’s management called a security officer who escorted Carroll and Shaw out of the bar.
During the opening arguments, Carroll and Shaw’s attorney Jeffrey Bramlett said that his clients were humiliated and embarrassed when an off-duty police officer, who works for the Atlanta restaurant, tossed them out of the bar.
“You’re probably thinking: Two black gentlemen go to a bar—this is a joke. But it’s no joke. The evidence will show a serious civil rights violation.” Jeffery said.
The restaurant denied the accusations of racial discrimination. The lawyer of the restaurant, David Daniels stated that the men were asked to give up their seats as a part of long-standing good manners practice which gives woman
a seat when the restaurant is full to capacity.
According to the court testimony, Carroll and Shaw were asked many times to give up their seats for women before the security guard was called.
Daniels said that the practice of giving away a seat when the bar is fully crowded is only to give respect to the women and make them feel comfortable, so they are able to come again and again for food and fun.
“If they feel comfortable, they’ll stay. And if they stay, the men will come. It’s not about race, it’s really about green. Everything in life is not about race and the evidence will show this has nothing to do with race. The evidence
will show it’s more to do about personality and ego. And in the end, it’s all about good manners.” David said.
Joe Barry Carroll was selected with the top pick in 1980 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. The 53-year-old played for 10 years in NBA and played in five different teams before he announced his retirement in 1991.
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