First Nations woman’s rights complaint against Vancouver club dismissed

by Stephen Thomson on June 12th, 2012 at 1:49 PM

A First Nations woman who was kicked out of a downtown Vancouver club that allegedly told her people wearing moccasins would not be served has had her human-rights complaint dismissed.

Colleen Mitchell White accused the Roxy Cabaret of discrimination after she was forcibly removed from the establishment on Granville Street in March 2009.

Mitchell White was out for an evening of drinking beer and eating food with her partner and her brother when the group decided to visit the Roxy.

She was initially denied entry because she was carrying a golf club she had found on the sidewalk. Roxy staff members worried the club could be used as a weapon.

When Mitchell White returned minutes later without the golf club, she was again ejected from the Roxy. She alleged she was also told the venue does not serve people wearing moccasins, a type of traditional First Nations footwear.

Roxy doormen testified before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal that Mitchell White was aggressive and they believed she was drunk. Mitchell White was arrested the same evening by police and issued a ticket for being drunk in public, but she denied being intoxicated.

Akram Mohamed, one of the doormen, testified he only told Mitchell White her soft-soled “footwear” did not meet the dress code. He denied saying the club specifically does not serve people wearing moccasins.

Mitchell White also alleged she was called a prostitute, but the Roxy doormen denied calling her that.

In a written decision issued on June 11, tribunal member Robert Blasina determined there was no violation of the human rights code and dismissed the complaint.

“The only reason, I find, that the doormen did not let her in was because they thought she was drunk,” Blasina wrote.

“Were the circumstances the same, but were the Complainant not an Aboriginal Person, it is unlikely that she would have been treated any differently.”

Comments

9 Comments

jonny .

Jun 12, 2012 at 2:43pm

lol. i wouldnt have let a drunk in either (no matter the race), especially after they had tried to enter with a golf club.

prenup

Jun 12, 2012 at 3:39pm

Drunk with a golf club....not the safest most responsible sight. In addition she got a ticket for being drunk. Of course she was completely sober when she received that ticket as she stated.

I hate it when people play the race card when they are clearly acting like an ass or braking the law.

Taxpayers R Us

Jun 12, 2012 at 4:53pm

@prenup

Same with the sex card, the age card, and the hair-colour card (see Woman blames hair-colour profiling for 116kph speeding ticket in 50kph zone, The Province, June 11, 2012).

The worst of the worst kind of people blame their failures on these kind of things, and in some cases get funding for it, too. ("Women's groups", anyone?)

Shame.

2nd Nation

Jun 12, 2012 at 8:28pm

I can't wait for the BC Crazy Liberties Assn to get involved in this one.

Clearly people have the right to be drunk, golf club wielding and moccaisin-wearing morons. Otherwise we're living in a police state man! A police state!

Colleen Mitchell White

Jun 13, 2012 at 2:24pm

Nobody was wielding clubs, or angry with doormen. There is nothing wrong with going out for beers with friends and family. Assume nothing people. This is not over...not by far. If you'd like the photos of doormen kicking my moccasins around before ejecting me...let me know. There are certain things you can't do to people. I wouldn't kick anyone's turban around...

Colleen Mitchell White

Jun 13, 2012 at 2:28pm

Regarding the VPD ... they respectfully settled with me. The ticket won't be paid. Ever. I was upset for being punched in the face. Not because I was unruly and drunk. But hey... have fun at my expense. Vancouver is what you're all made of.

BUM

Jun 13, 2012 at 3:24pm

Being intoxicated at the Roxy? What was she thinking? I'm certain it's patrons that night applauded the doorman's valliant protection of their delicate sensibilities.