Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is asking for an apology as well as civil rights damages after he alleges he was kicked out and banned from a Los Angeles fitness center because a white employee heard him state his support for our President, Donald Trump.
The employee in question charged at the pastor and came inches from his face, shouting “You support Donald Trump?!” And after an exchange, demanded he leave the premises.
Anthony Kohrs, Peterson’s attorney, stated: “He had been making semi-frequent radio appearances by phone from that gym for six years,” Anthony Kohrs, an attorney representing Peterson, told The Daily Caller. “He finds a spot where there isn’t a lot of background noise. He never had a problem. He’s even been given permission by employees to use their offices.”
Here he is describing what happened.
https://youtu.be/jQ_HZ_FMmJo
As reported by Eric Owens for The Daily Caller:
Peterson said “Scott” followed him as he went to the locker room to obtain his backpack. “Scott” continued to criticize the 68-year-old pastor and, according to the black pastor, repeatedly threatened to call the police.
After leaving, Peterson called the Equinox gym to confirm that his membership was, in fact, revoked.
“The only cited reason” was “his political views and support for the current President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” Kohrs said.
Kohrs told TheDC that he believes Equinox violated Peterson’s civil rights.
“Nothing I can think of that he could be accused of would warrant violence or a lifetime ban,” the attorney said.
“Even if Jesse was screaming, that’s not a reason to assault him. He says he was standing there on the phone.”
(Under civil law, assault means creating a reasonable apprehension of an imminent physical attack.)
Kohrs indicated that Peterson is not interested in having his gym membership restored.
“He doesn’t want his membership back. He feels humiliated. He’s very troubled that his civil rights were violated. He doesn’t want this to happen to other people.”
In an Oct. 19 letter to Jeff Peters, the general manager of Equinox Sports Club Los Angeles, Korhs lays out the civil rights lawsuit.
“Rev. Peterson’s support for President Donald Trump triggered multiple violations of Rev. Peterson’s civil rights,” the letter reads.
The letter from Kohrs cites a handful of California laws including the Bane Act and the Unruh Civil Rights Act for the proposition that business establishments cannot discriminate “on the basis of political affiliation in particular.”
