Black Family Says Casino Let Customer, Staffer Hurl Slurs

A Black family on Wednesday accused a Colorado casino of discrimination, alleging that employees allowed a customer and a bartender to hurl racial slurs at them after a dispute over not being served drinks.

Levert Henry and his mother, Jean Henry, said in a federal lawsuit filed in Colorado that the incident occurred in December 2023 at Century Casino & Hotel in Central City. The family said they were visiting the casino with Levert Henry’s grandmother, Clara Henry, when a disagreement arose after they were denied service at the bar.

According to the complaint, a confrontation followed in which another patron and a bartender allegedly shouted racial slurs at the family. The Henrys said casino staff failed to intervene appropriately and instead called police, accusing them of trespassing.

The family said they were not trespassing and contend they were treated as offenders rather than victims of discrimination. The lawsuit represented by Tyrone Glover Law Firm seeks damages and changes to the casino’s policies and training.