City To Investigate Complaints Of Discrimination At Downtown Bars

City to investigate complaints of discrimination at downtown bars

ARTHUR BRIDGEFORTH JR.
NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Ann Arbor officials are investigating two unrelated incidents in which blacks and Latinos claim they were unjustly thrown out of two popular downtown bars.

The incidents have led an informal community group to call for a boycott of the two Main Street bars and other restaurants run by the bar owners.

In one incident, two brothers — Cameron and Corey Moody — claim they were ejected from the Quality Bar on Aug. 4 for allegedly being intoxicated and disorderly.

They say police refused to take a report on the incident — at the scene, or later at the police station — or to let them submit to a breathalyzer to prove their claim that they hadn’t been drinking. The Moodys, who are black, are the sons of University of Michigan Vice Provost Charles Moody.

In a separate incident, three U-M students — Daniel Holliman, Gretchen Lopez and Roderick Linzie — have filed a complaint with the Ann Arbor Personnel-Human Rights Department alleging that they received discriminatory treatment when they tried to dine at the Full Moon Cafe during the Ann Arbor art fairs.

The trio said they and five other friends were treated rudely, refused service and then ejected from the bar by the manager and Ann Arbor police. All members of the group were black or Latino.

Andy Gulvezan, owner of the Full Moon and the City Grill, both on Main Street, refused to comment on the incident.

Mayor Gerald Jernigan said there will be a full investigation into the actions of police and both bars.

“These are some very serious allegations,” Jernigan said. “Neither the political people or the community will tolerate any discrimination.”

Raymond Chauncey, city human rights coordinator, said the Full Moon has been given 15 days to respond to the complaint. Once his department receives a response, it will conduct an investigation.

If an investigation found the complaint was justified, Chauncy would try to arrive at some “conciliation” between the students and the bar. The maximum fine for refusing to serve patrons is $500, he said.

In the Quality Bar incident, Cameron Moody said, he and his brother were ejected because they happened to join the table of three Latino men who had apparently caused problems, prior to their arrival at the bar. Moody denied that he and his brother were intoxicated. He said he hadn't been in the bar long enough to be served and his brother doesn’t drink.

Mike Gibbons, co-owner of the Quality Bar, said the Moody brothers were ejected because they were sitting at the table with three Latino men who were being ejected.

Brice O'Neal, an assistant kitchen manager, said the Latino men were shouting obscenities and physically threatening him and other bar employees, while the Moody brothers continued to inquire why the men were being asked to leave. All were eventually ejected by the police, O’Neal said.

Charles Moody later contacted Jernigan and other officials about the incident. Jernigan said police are doing an internal investigation into the incident.

The incidents have led a group called Concerned Citizens of Ann Arbor to call for a boycott of the bars, as well as other restaurants under the same ownership. Main Street Ventures Inc., owner of the Quality Bar, also operates the nearby Real Seafood Co., Gratzi and Maude’s.

Todd Shaw, a U-M graduate student in political science, said the boycott will be discussed at a press conference Monday in front of the Full Moon. Shaw said the boycott also is intended to protest what he described as the "whitewashing” of Main Street to exclude people of color and the homeless and the development of parking structures rather than affordable housing.

Jernigan denied there is any effort to push the homeless or others out of downtown, saying police “never have nor will they ever be instructed to clean people out of the downtown.”