Mena and La Bamba Bar Lounge Inc. v. Incorporated Village of Freeport and Joseph Madigan, individually, and Jonathan Smith, individually, and Robert T. Kennedy, individually, and Miguel Bermudez, individually, Civil Case No.: 19-cv-06255

New Action filed in the Eastern District of New York

Mena and La Bamba Bar Lounge Inc. v. Incorporated Village of Freeport and Joseph Madigan, individually, and Jonathan Smith, individually, and Robert T. Kennedy, individually, and Miguel Bermudez, individually,
Civil Case No.: 19-cv-06255

On November 5, 2019, Plaintiff Mena and La Bamba Bar Lounge Inc., filed a lawsuit in the United States Eastern District Court of New York against against Defendants, INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF FREEPORT, and JOSEPH MADIGAN, individually, and JONATHAN SMITH, individually, and ROBERT T. KENNEDY, individually, and MIGUEL BERMUDEZ, individually (collectively where appropriate as “Defendants”), alleging as follows:

Plaintiffs – – a Hispanic business owner and the corporation that she formed for the purpose of operating La Bamba Bar & Lounge (“the Bar”), which while open was located in Freeport, New York, and whose customers were primarily Hispanic – – bring this action due to the  disparate treatment to which Defendants – – the Village, along with its Building Department Superintendent, Code Enforcement Officer, Mayor, and Chief of Police – – subjected them due to Mena’s race and the general race of La Bamba’s clientele.  Specifically, the Village, pursuant to a policy and custom established by the actions of the Individual Defendants in their capacity to set and enforce Village policy and bind the Village, and the Individual Defendants, while acting under color of law and by way of authority and power granted to them by the laws of the State of New York and the Village of Freeport, subjected or caused Plaintiffs to be subjected to the deprivation of rights, privileges, and immunities secured by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and all laws and statutes arising thereunder, as well as race discrimination under the New York State Human Rights Law.  Indeed, Defendants, based on their prejudice against the Hispanic population of Freeport, as evidenced by multiple admissions of that prejudice made to Mena, subjected Plaintiffs to repeated and baseless fines, citations, and inspections in a manner so relentless that the business was forced to cease operation.

A full recitation of Plaintiffs’ allegations can be found in their Complaint.

If any individual is or has previously been an employee of the Defendants named in the lawsuit and/or has information that may be relevant to this case, please contact Borrelli & Associates, P.L.L.C. as soon as possible through one of our websites,www.employmentlawyernewyork.com or www.516abogado.com, or any of our phone numbers: (516) 248–5550, (516) ABOGADO, or (212) 679–5000.