The Philips Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks NBA team, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore/AP)A former security manager at Atlanta’s premier sports and entertainment arena says that black performers there face tougher security measures during events than white performers and that he was fired for complaining to his managers about discrimination. Hayes, who is black, managed an all-black security staff of about 40 people and handled security operations for the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and day-to-day events from August 2016 until April, according to the lawsuit. Hayes says security staff complained that “extra tight security” at black shows with black entertainers and denied black entertainers the same security privileges as their white entertainers. Black performers and their crews were subject to heightened security, the lawsuit says, and their requests for the same types of concessions were shot down.

Source: Washington Post July 07, 2017 10:30 UTC