The lawsuit filed by Georgetown student Taylor Price (MSB ‘10) is moving al0ng, with Mr. Smith’s filing a response on November 9th to Price’s allegations. Price sued Mr. Smith’s in September for discriminating against him because he uses a wheelchair.

Mr. Smith’s response (below) denies almost everything Price’s original complaint asserted. Just about the only thing Mr. Smith’s is willing to admit is that they are the friendliest saloon in town:

Defendants admit the allegations contained in Paragraph 19 of the Complaint that  Mr. Smith’s of  Georgetown, a restaurant and piano bar, is a popular location for D.C. residents  and local college students, and particularly in Georgetown, to gather and celebrate events.

Looks like their attempts to settle didn’t work out.
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Last month, Georgetown student and wheelchair user Taylor Price (MSB ‘10) filed a lawsuit against M Street bar Mr. Smith’s, claiming discrimination and seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages.  So how’s the case going?

Earlier this month, the parties jointly filed for and were granted an extension of the due date for Mr. Smith’s response to the suit, according to the most recent court documents for the case.  The extension was requested because lawyers for Price and Mr. Smith’s are “currently engagaged in discussions to explore the possibility of settlement.”

According to the court documents (which can be found in full after the jump):

Counsel for Plaintiff and counsel for Mr. Smith’s both agree that these settlement discussions may resolve this action in its entirety.

Thus, it is in the interest of judicial economy and in an effort to conserve party resources that counsel seek an extension of the time within which Mr. Smith’s may file a responsive pleading.

Mr. Smith’s response would have been due October 7th, but since the extension was granted it is now due November 7th.

When asked about the status of the case, Price responded in an e-mail, “There is nothing significant to report at this time, but there may be soon.”

Check out the full court document after the jump!

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Georgetown student Taylor Price is suing M Street bar Mr. Smith’s for discrimination, according to ABC 7 News.

Price, who has been in a wheelchair for five years after a swimming accident, claims he was discriminated against when he was at the bar with some friends on January 23, 2009.

According to ABC 7 News:

“I was told by the manager that the bar was too crowded and that I was a fire hazard and I was not allowed to go to the back of the bar,” [Price] said. “I just could not believe that someone would say that to me. All I wanted to do is enjoy the evening with my friends.”

And according to Price, that’s not all the manager said. “He pointed to the corner and told me that if I wished to remain at the bar that I would have to sit in the corner,” he said.

The manager of Mr. Smith’s had no comment on the lawsuit, according to ABC 7 News.

Georgetown’s Great White Whale

This past Saturday at 9:00 a.m., University President John DeGioia met with seventeen students to discuss The Hoya’s April Fools’ Day issue, which since its publication has been the target of much criticism, the subject of a large and emotional town hall, and the cause of a 40-student sit-in at The Hoya’s Leavey office.

The students were among those who found the issue offensive and discriminatory. According Jodi Callendar (MSB `09), one of the students attending, DeGioia said during the meeting that he would address the Georgetown student body within the next few days, and is willing to host a town hall in response to student concerns (Disclosure: Jodi was formerly the head of business for the Voice, but we’re not playing faves—students from other groups involved with these issues referred Vox’s questions to Callendar).

DeGioia plans to initially address the student body in a broadcast email. Plans from other administrators’ offices are still unclear. In an email, Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson told Vox:

“We have heard from a number of people – students, staff, and parents.  We have spoken with student leaders of The Hoya, and we are following up on the matter.”

In their meeting with DeGioia, Callendar said that the students explained  “that this wasn’t just a black issue or a homophobia issue, that students are pretty generally pissed off.” The students represented a diverse set of student groups, including GUPride, NAACP, the United Feminists, the Protestant Student Forum, SCUnity, Black Student Alliance, the Carribean Culture Circle, MEChA, and the Solidarity Committee.

DeGioia, Callendar said, “seemed genuinely concerned, and I say ’seemed’ because depending on who you ask …. But in my opinion he was genuinely upset that the Georgetown the students there saw wasn’t the one he knew and loved.”

DeGioia’s thoughts on student media oversight, after the jump.

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