Spring Break
Students, bars disagree on entry rules
By: Travis Measley
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: News
The task force was dissolved in the late spring of 2006.
The student said after leaving the bar, her group approached a nearby College Station police officer to talk to him about the incident.
"We asked a policeman standing nearby if they could throw us out because of our skin color to which he replied in the affirmative, saying that 'Yes! The bartender can throw you out if he has a problem with the fact that you are brown or Indian!' After that we all just went home," the graduate student said.
She went on to say that she had never before seen an incident such as this happen before at Texas A&M, and that she plans on never returning to Northgate.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits any public establishment from denying service or entry to a person based on color, race, sex, religion or national origin. It does not, however, prohibit a bar or restaurant owner from requiring a certain dress code and not allowing certain articles of clothing that may create controversy or violence, such as gang related paraphernalia or clothing promoting violence, sex or drugs.
Drew Gibson, a College Station attorney whose office is located in the Northgate area, said that if bar owners do not like certain things such as hats or baggy pants, they can ask a patron to leave, regardless of his or her race, ethnicity or gender.
On the front doors of bars such as Gatsby's, Hookah Station and V-bar, owners have posted very specific dress code lists and disclaimers stating that they have the right to refuse service to anyone and that they will ask to see valid identification from those wishing to purchase alcohol.
Siddharth Bela, an international student, recounted an incident at Hookah Station where a bouncer denied entrance to him and his friends, even though they had a reservation.
Bela said some of the bouncer's friends shouted racial slurs at the group, and then Hookah Station closed the doors on them so they could not enter. When they were closed out, Bela said, one of his friends kicked the door, and a police officer issued him a warning for destruction of property. While this was going on, another bouncer grabbed the man who had kicked the door and held him against the wall. Police arrested the bouncer on charges of assault.
The student said after leaving the bar, her group approached a nearby College Station police officer to talk to him about the incident.
"We asked a policeman standing nearby if they could throw us out because of our skin color to which he replied in the affirmative, saying that 'Yes! The bartender can throw you out if he has a problem with the fact that you are brown or Indian!' After that we all just went home," the graduate student said.
She went on to say that she had never before seen an incident such as this happen before at Texas A&M, and that she plans on never returning to Northgate.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits any public establishment from denying service or entry to a person based on color, race, sex, religion or national origin. It does not, however, prohibit a bar or restaurant owner from requiring a certain dress code and not allowing certain articles of clothing that may create controversy or violence, such as gang related paraphernalia or clothing promoting violence, sex or drugs.
Drew Gibson, a College Station attorney whose office is located in the Northgate area, said that if bar owners do not like certain things such as hats or baggy pants, they can ask a patron to leave, regardless of his or her race, ethnicity or gender.
On the front doors of bars such as Gatsby's, Hookah Station and V-bar, owners have posted very specific dress code lists and disclaimers stating that they have the right to refuse service to anyone and that they will ask to see valid identification from those wishing to purchase alcohol.
Siddharth Bela, an international student, recounted an incident at Hookah Station where a bouncer denied entrance to him and his friends, even though they had a reservation.
Bela said some of the bouncer's friends shouted racial slurs at the group, and then Hookah Station closed the doors on them so they could not enter. When they were closed out, Bela said, one of his friends kicked the door, and a police officer issued him a warning for destruction of property. While this was going on, another bouncer grabbed the man who had kicked the door and held him against the wall. Police arrested the bouncer on charges of assault.
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