Philips Arena has been home of the Atlanta Hawks since 1999. (John Bazemore/Associated Press)A former security manager for the Hawks’ arena in Atlanta is suing the team for firing him based on his race, and for treating performers and celebrities at the arena differently depending on their race. Samuel R. Hayes III claims that white performers were routinely allowed to bypass security measures that were enforced for black artists. In a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court against Atlanta Hawks LLC, Hayes said that he was hired in August to manage the day-to-day security at Philips Arena, the operating rights to which are held by the team’s ownership group. In addition, black celebrities attending events there, including rapper Nelly and actor Tyler Perry were denied certain privileges granted to some white attendees.

Source: Washington Post July 07, 2017 03:33 UTC