Blacks Not Allowed in Greenhouse?
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The trendy Greenhouse club, which opened last year, has been smacked with a $1 billion lawsuit after turning away around 100 guests, supposedly because they were black. The incident occurred on Aug 8th, at a bash being held by urban fiction writer Teri Woods to celebrate the release of her new book ‘Alibi’.
The Greenhouse club is known to have a tough door policy. Any club can deny entry on the grounds of clothing, but not on race. Club owner Barry Mullineaux has dismissed the charges of racism as “pretty much bogus” and has declined to say much more.
The plaintiffs obviously feel differently. Although Teri Woods herself is not one of the plaintiffs she has shown strong support for them, and is said to be considering laying charges her self. The incident she says has made her feel “violated”. Over 100 of her friends and family were turned away from the event she had organized and advertised (even putting up flyers).
Woods has records of text messages sent by Barry Mullineaux saying how he was keeping people out. The messages indicate that people were being barred from the club by appearance. One message reads “Everybody looking at me like this ur people Barry???” and another “I couldn't let in 300lb girls." When questioned about the text messages Mullineaux says he can’t recall sending them “not word for word”.
One of those involved in the lawsuit, Kashan Robinson, is the sister of popular rapper Queen Pen. She says that the doormen just “looked past [them] like [they] didn’t exist”. Terri Woods was highly embarrassed, and says, “I was just walking around in circles and in tears. They took my moment."
Included in perhaps more than 100 people who were turned away were lawyers, doctors and people rated highly in the entertainment industry. Several lawyers and doctors were allowed into the Greenhouse club, but they were white.
While Mullineaux is stating the whole affair to be bogus, it does have to be noted that according to the plaintiffs, those who were not allowed inside this trendy club, were all colored, or may have been discriminated against on the grounds that they were ‘fat’. Terri Woods claims none of her invited guests were fat but “what if they were?”
The main basis for the suit being laid is believed to be centred around the racial discrimination issue though.
The bottles of French Ciroc vodka seem to have soured for Woods. The gift bags and copies of her new book lay unopened. She had also hired popular DJ Suss One for the occasion. What had promised to be a great Thursday night at the Varick St club had turned to one of embarrassment and confusion.
John L Sampson, an attorney for the clubs owner says the club has provided top level service and a quality experience and “ cater to an inclusive array of patrons of all races, religions, creeds, and sexual orientations”.