NBA Draft: Biggest Draft Busts Ever - (Photos)

"On August 11, 2006, Carroll, who is black, along with his friend attorney Joseph Shaw, also black, sat at the bar at The Tavern at Phipps in Atlanta, Ga. and ordered drinks and food. The restaurant and the bar were full. After they'd begun their meals, the bartender asked them both to move from their seats for two females, while there were several white males at the bar who were not asked to move. They were the only blacks in the entire restaurant. The two men politely declined and continued with their meals and conversation. They were then approached by a woman, who said she was managing parter of the restaurant, and a man, who was the manager, who said it was "custom" in the bar for men to give up their seats to women, and Carroll and Shaw were then asked to leave. They said they weren't ready to leave yet and weren't done eating their meals. Management then unilaterally closed out their bill before they had finished their meal and refused them further service. The 2 managers became agitated, creating a scene that Carrol and Shaw found embarrassing. The manager then called police. A uniformed Atlanta police officer showed up and seemed to back up the "custom" of the restaurant. At no time did anyone accuse Carroll or Shaw of being disorderly or disruptive, but they now feared they would be arrested so they left despite not being finished with their meals. They had been asked a total of 5 times to give up their seats while no requests were made of the white men at the bar. They say they were "traumatized and humiliated"

Carroll filed a complaint to Atlanta's Human Relations Commission. The commission issued a finding of "improper treatment of Plaintiff Carroll and Mr. Shaw based on race" and that "race was a factor in the escalation of the situation." They concluded that "the Commission can't help but to wince at the notion of expressly sanctioning a practice that would have the effect of requiring an African American to relinquish his or her seat to a Caucasian patron. The Commission could well expect an African American individual finding himself in such a situation to believe he or she is being singled out for hurtful, disparate treatment,"

Carroll said, "I was shocked that it ever happened, But since I've gotten over the shock, I've felt I have a responsibility to promote some conversation, some discussion about this."

Carrol has also filed suit in Federal Court and is asking for a jury trial, asking for "Compensatory (and punitive) damages in an amount to be determined by the conscience of the jury and evidence presented"

Any money from the suit will be given to charities he already promotes."

Joe Barry Carroll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia