Woman Sues Restaurant For Kicking Her Out Over “Revealing” Outfit While Other Customers Dressed Similarly

The Black woman who was kicked out of a restaurant she regularly visited over her outfit is now filing a lawsuit against the “discriminatory” treatment she received at the establishment. 

In July 2024, Y’Mine McClanahan went to Stab’s Prime Steak and Seafood restaurant in Baton Rouge, wearing a strapless top, which was deemed “too revealing” by the restaurant’s co-owner.

The Black woman who was kicked out of a restaurant over her outfit is now filing a suit

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Louisiana nurse McClanahan made headlines in the summer over the restaurant incident that left her feeling “mortified, violated, ashamed, and really humiliated,” when she was denied entry by the co-owner, Dori Murvin, despite wearing the same outfit she said she had worn during a previous visit.  

Now, the 33-year-old is filing a federal complaint against the restaurant, alleging that they racially discriminated against her after refusing to serve her for wearing an outfit that was too revealing.

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The complaint included photos from Stab’s social media accounts of white female customers who wore similar clothing to the restaurant and were not refused service, as proof. 

McClanahan was denied service in the restaurant last summer due to her “revealing” top

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Murvin said McClanahan’s outfit doesn’t align with the establishment’s “business casual” dress code, saying it was “just too revealing at the top.” Adding, “We have buckled down on our dress code. It’s been like this for a while now.”

“How long is a while? ‘Cause I’ve been here two weeks ago with the same outfit on,” she told Murvin in a video of the encounter. “My breasts are not out,” she replied to Murvin. 

The woman said the restaurant’s waitresses were wearing miniskirts and fishnet stockings

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After the incident, McClanahan shared a post on Facebook saying the restaurant has double standards: “Their waitresses can wear mini skirts with their b*tt hanging out and fishnets, but my set is too revealing for the ‘atmosphere’ they’re trying to create.”

McClanahan, a nurse who once served as the vice president of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Baton Rouge branch, reached out to the association. The next day, the branch’s president released a letter to the restaurant’s team, stating that the way McClanhan was treated left them “questioning the consistency and fairness of your policies.”

The restaurant said its dress code police has been in place for years

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In response, Stab’s issued a statement claiming its dress code policy has been in effect for over three years. “We spoke with a guest yesterday about her attire, and she pointed out that we have waitstaff dressed in a manner that might not meet the standard of our attire policy,” they added. 

The restaurant also said that new uniforms for staff are in development, “so that we are not asking a different standard for our customers than we are requiring of our staff.” 

The federal complaint states that McClanahan’s outfit didn’t break any dress code rules

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The complaint argues that McClanahan’s outfit didn’t break any of the specific dress code rules listed by Stab’s.

According to the restaurant’s website, customers are expected to wear business casual clothing “appropriate for a fine dining, family restaurant,” and items like “gym wear, sweat pants, muscle shirts, clothing with offensive graphics or language, exposed undergarments or revealing clothing, cut-off shorts and flip flops, torn jeans” are not allowed.

At one point, the policy also ironically banned “tank tops”, a clothing item co-owner Dori Murvin was seen wearing when she kicked McClanahan out. That item has since been removed from the dress code.

The woman’s attorneys are suing the establishment for racial discrimination

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McClanahan’s attorneys are suing Stab’s for racial discrimination and civil rights violations, saying the dress code was unfairly enforced against a Black woman. The lawsuit claims, “white patrons and employees at Stab’s were wearing less appropriate attire.”

The filing includes a photo of co-owner Dori Murvin wearing a tank top at the restaurant, along with images from Stab’s social media showing white women in low-cut outfits that were apparently “revealing at the top.”

The photos show a number of white female customers dressed in low-cut tops being served at the restaurant

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The attorneys also argue that the restaurant was negligent for not applying its dress code in a “fair and non-discriminatory” way.

“Ms. McClanahan continues to feel humiliated and ashamed as a result of the double-standard Stab’s showed to her versus white patrons and employees,” her attorneys at Most & Associates wrote in the complaint. They added that after leaving Stab’s, McClanahan went to another nearby restaurant, where she was not only welcomed but complimented on her outfit.

McClanahan said this complaint is about “human decency and respect”

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Regarding the suit, McClanahan said, “For me, it’s about human decency and respect. And it seems like that has gone out the window, especially in this political climate. The message behind this is to treat other people the way you would want to be treated, and that is with kindness and respect.”

Stab’s co-owner Kevin Kimball responded to the suit, saying, “Without going into too many details, we’ve answered the things and done things on record that we said we were going to do. And moving forward, we’re ready to go to court.”

Online users reacted to Y’Mine McClanahan’s decision to file a federal complaint against the establishment ...