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Gonzo: If discrimination allegations are true, Phils should disassociate from McFadden's

If the allegations about McFadden's are true, the chain has a serious problem to address. Same goes for the Phillies.

A lawsuit claims that McFadden's is guilty of "racism and racial segregation." (Alejandro A. Alvarez/Staff Photographer)
A lawsuit claims that McFadden's is guilty of "racism and racial segregation." (Alejandro A. Alvarez/Staff Photographer)Read more

If the allegations about McFadden's are true, the chain has a serious problem to address. Same goes for the Phillies.

First, the bar: Last week, a class-action civil-rights lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court. It claims that McFadden's and its parent company, East Coast Saloons, are guilty of "racism and racial segregation" and that those practices are "not only tolerated, but mandated."

The complaint goes further and alleges that the general manager of the Old City bar, Walt Wyrsta, texted a fellow manager on Oct. 28: "We don't want black people we are a white bar!" (Wyrsta could not be reached for comment.)

Despite being an establishment that's heavily patronized by college kids and other people in their 20s, the Old City location has a dress code. Among the prohibited items: excessively baggy clothes, work boots, hooded sweatshirts, and athletic jerseys. It also requires customers to tuck in their chains.

The suit was filed on behalf Michael L. Bolden. The 29-year-old is a part-time bartender at McFadden's in Old City and has been employed by the company since 2007. According to the complaint, the bar has 75 employees but only five are black, including Bolden (who has an African American father and a Cuban American mother). The suit claims that Bolden, who is also a lawyer, had his prime shift changed about the same time McFadden's allegedly attempted to dissuade black customers from frequenting the bar.

On Friday, Charles A. Ercole, a lawyer hired by McFadden's, issued a statement saying that the bar "denies that it ever implemented policies specifically intended to preclude patrons of any race." He added that employee assignments, including Bolden's, were "in no way based on race" and that McFadden's found the language in the alleged text messages "offensive and reprehensible." (Wyrsta has since been suspended pending an investigation.)

The company that owns McFadden's has locations all over the country. You can stumble into one of the franchises from Boston to Glendale, Ariz.

You can also find McFadden's in South Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. Before a Phillies game a little more than a year ago, David Sale of Lansdale went there with some friends for a bachelor party. The celebration didn't last.

In an altercation that began inside the bar and then spilled outside, Sale suffered internal injuries and head wounds and was taken to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 22 years old.

Which brings us to where McFadden's and the Phillies intersect: If these latest allegations about McFadden's are true, it's long past time for the local baseball team to boot the bar from Citizens Bank Park. A young man died there. That's tragic and heinous. Now the company that owns the establishment is being accused of fostering racism. That's not the family-friendly image the Phillies want to project.

If you've been to McFadden's at the Ballpark, you know it can be a good place to grab a pre- or postgame beer and meet friends. It can also be an overcrowded nightmare full of sloppy, aggressive drunks. Depends on the night.

That's true of any bar, of course. But we're also talking about a bar associated with a brutal death. We're talking about a bar that's attached to a stadium where the Phillies play baseball in front of old and young, black and white, affluent and poor. We're talking about a bar with a sister establishment that stands accused of small-minded bigotry.

This shouldn't be a hard decision for the Phillies. If any of the claims in the class-action suit are true - if McFadden's employs managers who discriminate against minorities in order to maintain the establishment as a "white bar" - then the Phillies need to disassociate themselves from the company.

When I first heard of the accusations, I contacted the Phillies and asked whether the organization has looked into the claims or reconsidered its relationship with McFadden's. Through a spokesperson, the team said "we have no knowledge about any of the allegations in the lawsuit and therefore are not in a position to comment at this time."

The story was reported in the Daily News and the Inquirer. Maybe the Phillies don't read the local newspapers. The editors at 400 North Broad will be dismayed when they find out. More likely, the Phillies are aware of what's happening and they're buying time to figure out what to say and how to proceed while the lawsuit shakes out.

From a business standpoint, it's probably the prudent thing to do. But the Phillies are more than just a business. They're a feel-good story that represents the best of our town, a team with a ballpark that doubles as a meeting place for Philadelphians. It's the city's clubhouse as much as the players', and it ought to be safe and welcoming for everyone.