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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Lawsuit alleges nightclub's entrance policies based on race

Discrimination 20

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HOUSTON – A Houston nightclub is facing legal action over its admission practices.

Houston resident Kanisha Hatchett filed a lawsuit against Club 2301, LLC and Club 2301 Management, LLC on Jan. 2 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas on claims Clé discriminates against black patrons.

Per Hatchett, she went to Clé on the night of Dec. 10, 2016 for a party which her friend had reserved a private table with bottle service.

“When Hatchett sought entrance to the venue, a security guard stopped her and told her that she would not be allowed entrance except for having reserved a table or being on the guest list,” the suit says.

Court papers further show that while the plaintiff attempted to contact her friend, she noticed two white females try to enter the venue.

“When the Caucasian females approached the security guard he proceeded to tell them the same admission requirements that he had relayed to Hatchett,” the suit says.

“The two Caucasian females told the security guard that they had not reserved a table and that they were not on the guest list. However, upon being told this the security guard allowed the two Caucasian females entrance into the venue.”

Hatchett purportedly realized that “the entrance requirements were a pretextual reason to deny her admission to enter” Clé. According to the suit, she left the club “embarrassed and humiliated because she was not allowed admission based on her race.”

“Clé maintains an entrance policy of table reservations and a guest list as a pretextual reason to discriminate against prospective African American patrons,” the complaint says.

Consequently, Hatchett seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

She is represented by attorney Ike Okorafor of the Okorafor Law Group in Houston.

Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:17-0002

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