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Federal judge dismisses racial discrimination suit against Atlas Restaurant Group

Baltimore's Atlas Restaurant Group.
Joe Sweeney

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Atlas Restaurant Group, concluding that there was no evidence the restaurant company “intentionally discriminated” against a woman and her son.

U.S. District Judge George Russell’s decision ends a lawsuit brought by Marcia Grant and her son, who claimed they were denied service at Ouzo Bay restaurant in Baltimore in 2020 because they were Black.

Atlas Restaurant Group denied the allegations, saying Grant’s son did not comply with the restaurant’s dress code because the boy was wearing “gym clothing,” which was prohibited by the eatery.

Russell found that because the dress code was posted and available to the public, it wasn’t discriminatory. In his 20-page decision, Russell wrote that a press release issued by Atlas after the incident which said the “denial of service ‘should never have happened’” was a general apology for the customer service provided and not a suggestion that Grant and her son were denied for not meeting the dress code requirements.

The story continues at The Baltimore Banner: Federal judge dismisses racial discrimination suit against Atlas Restaurant Group

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