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Potential class-action lawsuit over Kansas City Developer's alleged discriminatory dress code
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Cordish Companies, the developer responsible for the Power & Light District in Downtown Kansas City, could be facing a class action lawsuit. According to Fox 4 News, local Civil Rights Attorney, Arthur Benson, who had a major role in the Kansas City School District's desegregation case, is waiting for a "right-to-sue" the developer to be issued by the Human Rights Commission. The Power & Light District has gotten many complaints from patrons claiming discrimination as result of the dress code, especially African-Americans. A recent experiment by the City's Human Rights Department sent White, African-American, and Latino patrons into the Power & Light District dressed outside of the dress code .The results revealed that the minority patrons were accepted 59% of the time and the White patrons 100% of the time.These statistics seem to validate these claims of racial discrimination and are currently being reviewed.
There are not many cities where you have to consider what you are wearing before you walk the streets and terraces downtown. Often times businesses may enforce a dress code for entry into their establishments but how can you enforce a dress code outdoors in open spaces and does it apply to everyone? In a city like Kansas City with a history of segregation; this development, which is supposed to signify progress, could very well take us backwards if the situation persists.
Some patrons say the dress code creates a safer atmosphere others say that it's a way to keep minorities out. The city's dress code ordinance gives Cordish the right to enforce a dress code but not to discriminate. The claims are that the District incorporates a dress code that specifically targets certain styles of the African-American Community and/or the dress code simply has a racial double standard. This is a slippery slope in a city that is 63% White, 29% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. In addition, the population of the surrounding suburbs are more than 90% White in most areas (census.gov). Given Kansas City's demographic make up one might assume that patronage from the majority population is being more targeted for economic reasons hence catering less towards minority groups. If this is the case the developer is more vulnerable to these types of claims and the situation could get ugly fast.
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