Santa Ana : Race Bias Suit Filed Against the Red Onion

A $50-million lawsuit against the Red Onion restaurant chain has been filed on behalf of three Orange County blacks who allege racial bias after they were refused entry into the chain’s Santa Ana discotheque.

The suit is the fourth to be brought against the Carson-based company this year and states that the company violated the state Civil Rights Act by “arbitrarily excluding Jeffrey Williams, Andrienne T. Warren and Marshall Davis on the basis of race.”

According to the suit, which was filed in Orange County Superior Court on Thursday, Red Onion employees told Williams last August that his out-of-state driver’s license was not valid and that Warren did not meet the dress code.

The two recently graduated from the University of Oregon and currently live in Orange County, said their attorney, Milton Grimes.

Davis, a former student at Saddleback College, claimed the Red Onion discriminated against him in January and then again in March for alleged dress code and identification violations.

The suit alleges that the Red Onion “has an expressed policy of excluding patrons . . . solely on the basis of their race or color” and that Red Onion President Ron Newman was aware of the alleged policy.

Red Onion attorney Ralph Saltsman did not return a reporter’s call about the lawsuit.

Company officials have repeatedly denied that they discriminate against minorities. Nevertheless, in order to combat what they have called “the perception of a problem,” Red Onion officials recently announced they would pay $500 to each of the 39 people who had filed discrimination complaints with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing earlier this year.

As part of the company’s settlement with the state, Red Onion officials also agreed to print a public apology in area newspapers. In addition, the company recently pledged to launch an extensive outreach program into the minority communities of Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles counties.