Baller Mind Frame’s No Layups brings you the hottest NBA stories on the web mixed with personal opinion from our very own Aaron Lanton
A gay Barclays Center food server claims that Houston Rockets basketball players pelted him with homophobic slurs in a locker room before a 2013 game against the Nets — and that he was coldly canned by his catering company after he complained about the abuse, according to a Brooklyn federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Rasean Tate, 28, of Brooklyn, is suing the Rockets and the company that handles catering at Barclays, Levy Restaurant Holdings, for a slew of civil rights violations and anti-gay discrimination.
Tate claims that he was setting up a buffet in the visiting Rockets locker room before a game on Feb. 22, 2013, when he was all but chased from the area because he was gay.
“When the plaintiff’s back was turned to defendant Rockets players, he began to hear laughter and taunting voices saying ‘get this f—– out of here!’ ” according to the suit, and ” ‘He’s trying to catch a sneaky-peeky!’ “
The reeling server said that the jabs and snickering didn’t let up.
“These series of comments were repeated a number of times by defendant Rockets players and staff,” according to the suit. “Plaintiff could hear defendant Rockets players overlapping voices and laughter.”
The suit does not name which individual players allegedly made the remarks. New York Post
There’s not a lot I can add that is not pure speculation, but this is a story worth mentioning because of American professional sports goal of being a safe place of employment and entertainment inclusive for all people.
Expect to see more on this story from me once the details are made crystal clear. – AL
Featured image courtesy of RMTip21/Flickr.
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