Lawsuits

Lawsuit Claims 230 Fifth Forced Black Patrons to Buy $320 Vodka

The allegations are not so cool.
The allegations are not so cool. Photo: KBNN

A 29-year-old man named Jermaine Sanders and three female friends who visited Flatiron bar 230 Fifth in February of 2010 were “forced to buy a $320 bottle of vodka” in order to gain access to its scene-y and scenic rooftop bar while its white guests had no such restrictions, DNAinfo reports. Sanders says the bar’s staff “hurled racist remarks” at him and his party, who were also kicked out of the lounge and made to stand outside in the cold. Because of the ensuing ordeal, Sanders is suing the bar for discrimination and damages. “Since this incident the plaintiffs have almost entirely given up on frequenting night life spots in Manhattan due to the prejudice they experienced that night,” Sanders’s lawyer tells the site. [DNAinfo]

Lawsuit Claims 230 Fifth Forced Black Patrons to Buy $320 Vodka