June 29, 2004 – The ACLU is calling for developers of a Kentucky nightclub hub to revise a dress code banning sports jerseys, backward baseball hats and sleeveless shirts, among other apparel. The rights group says the law is biased against black and low-income patrons.
A developer called The Cordish Co. is licensed by the city of Louisville to enforce the dress code for three nights a week in a district known as Fourth Street Live, a month-old, $75 million project of restaurants and bars. The ACLU argues that if the city turns over a public street to a private company, the city needs to make sure the street is still accessible to everyone.
According to the Associated Press, a black customer, Tim West, was asked to leave for wearing shorts judged too long and a baseball-style jersey.
The Cordish Co. met with protesters and offered a compromise that would still include a ban on bare midriffs, sagging pants, and "gang-related clothing."
