Nightclub sued for race discrimination
The Virginian-Pilot reports that two patrons have sued a Virginia Beach nightclub alleging race discrimination.
Two patrons who were turned away from a Virginia Beach nightclub have filed a federal discrimination lawsuit alleging they were denied entry because of their race.The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, seeks unspecified monetary damages and an injunction stopping the owner of Kokoamos from enforcing his entry rules.
Kokoamos owner Barry Davis has said he was simply enforcing a dress code, which prohibits cornrows, dreadlocks and braids.
However, the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the suit on behalf of Kim Hines and Myron Evans, says the rule essentially prohibits mostly blacks from entering the club, located on Marina Shores Drive, off North Great Neck Road.
ACLU attorney Rebecca K. Glenberg said Thursday that efforts to resolve the issue outside of court have been unsuccessful since the hairstyle issue came to light last summer.
“We are concerned that dress codes can be used as a pretext for racial discrimination,” she said. “This sort of restriction obviously excludes a lot of African Americans.”
Hines, who is black, and three white friends went to Kokoamos on Aug. 18.“A security guard told Ms. Hines that she could not enter because the club did not allow braids, twists, cornrows, or dreadlocks,” the lawsuit states.
The guard told one of the white patrons that she could enter but that he could not allow “that,” indicating Hines, inside, the suit says. Hines and her friends then left.
A media storm followed as Hines reported the incident to the ACLU.
The civil rights group soon learned that other blacks were denied entry to the club, Glenberg said.
Myron Evans, who is black and wears his hair in dreadlocks, went to the club with about 10 friends on June 1. One friend, a white woman with spiked hair dyed black and platinum, was allowed inside, but Evans was denied entry, the lawsuit says.
Evans asked to speak to the owner, and Davis came outside and explained the dress and hair code rules.
“Davis told Evans, 'There are other places that cater to your kind of crowd,’” the suit says.
In an interview with The Virginian-Pilot last summer, Davis explained that he allows those hairstyles at his Newport News club, The Alley, which caters largely to a black crowd.
However, he forbids the look at Kokoamos because it invites violence, he told a reporter.
“The Alley is a black nightclub,” he said at the time, while Kokoamos is “for a mainstream crowd.”
Glenberg took the word mainstream to mean discrimination against blacks.
“What that indicates is that he’s maintaining clubs that are de facto segregated,” she said. “It simply is not permissible under our civil rights laws to say that this club is for one race and this club is for another.”
Davis could not be reached for comment Thursday. Kokoamos is closed for the winter.
Davis’ Norfolk attorney, Melvin J. Radin, said he could not comment because he had not yet seen the suit.
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