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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Big Easy Cafe Said to Serve Up Racist Epithets

NEW ORLEANS (CN) - Black patrons of a French Quarter cafe claim in court they were served a helping of racist epithets when they were given their receipt by their white waiter.

The receipt, which caused a stir after the mother of one of the customers posted a photo of it on Facebook, included the message "Nigger 100% dislike."

The patrons plaintiffs in a pair of lawsuits filed in New Orleans Federal Court say the receipt came from their white waiter, Dakota Crocket, at Huck Finn's Cafe on Decatur Street in the French Quarter.

Royetta Lee, Lyrica Branch Neville and Jolanda Kindell say they ate lunch at the restaurant with one other person. One of them sent back a catfish dish that tasted like chicken. When the receipt came, the racist epithet was printed across its face.

Their lawsuit says two of the women immediately took the receipt to show Dakota Crocket's manager. Unsure whether the other two women had seen the words, Crocket printed out an additional receipt and brought it out, thus "ensuring that all four of the girls would view the receipts containing the intolerable and unlawful racial epithets."

"The ladies work for Blue Green Tours, a tour company that shares a building with Huck Finn's Cafe, and had lunch together at the cafe," the lawsuits say.

"Among the many commercial restaurants and cafes in the area, who target and cater to tourist, plaintiffs chose to patronize Huck Finn's because of its reputation of great customer service, entertainment and hospitality in the tourism industry, also as nationally advertised. Accordingly, they patronized the restaurant, located in the French Quarter, with the expectation of the nationally recognized quality, hospitality, entertainment and customer service," according to the complaint.

Although plaintiffs were assured Crochet would be fired, they returned to the cafe several hours later and he was still there, the lawsuit says.

Crochet reportedly told plaintiffs that the slur was a joke they play on cooks in the kitchen.

"The extremely offensive and unlawful racial epithet on the receipt caused Plaintiffs' immediate humiliation, mental anguish, emotional distress, extreme embarrassment and anger. This incident has continued to cause mental anguish, emotional distress, and anger, among other damages."

To add insult to injury, plaintiffs were fired from their jobs at Blue Green Tours in retaliation, according to their lawsuit.

The two lawsuits seek $1 million each in damages for race discrimination, conspiracy and infliction of emotional distress, and "for the conduct that no civilized society can tolerate."

"Defendants' acts were calculated, and had the effect of discouraging African American customers, including Plaintiffs, from visiting Huck Finn's, whose name alone is notorious for the use of the intolerable racial epithet," the legal document said.

Huck Finn's did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

The lawsuits were filed by Quiana Hunt of the Hunt-Clark Law Firm in New Orleans.

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