Black Woman Was Refused Service Over ‘Revealing’ Outfit. Now She’s Suing Restaurant Alleging Discrimination

Black Woman Was Refused Service Over ‘Revealing’ Outfit. Now She’s Suing Restaurant Alleging Discrimination

“I feel absolutely violated,” Y’Mine McClanahan said in a complaint about the 2024 incident

In a complaint, Y’Mine McClanahan claimed that Stab’s Prime Steak and Seafood asked her to leave the restaurant due to the dress she woreMcClanahan, who is Black, claimed the restaurant's white patrons and employees were dressed less appropriately than her during the 2024 incident"I left feeling kind of mortified, violated, ashamed and really humiliated because I had never had something happen like this to me as a working professional," she said, per the complaint A Black woman who alleged that she was refused service at a Baton Rouge, La., restaurant over a “dress code violation” last year is now suing the establishment for discrimination. In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana on Friday, April 18 and reviewed by PEOPLE, Y’Mine McClanahan claimed that on July 23, 2024, Stab’s Prime Steak and Seafood asked her to leave over the purported violation — even though the restaurant’s white patrons and employees were dressed in similar fashion. “I feel absolutely violated,” McClanahan told Fox affiliate WGMB about the alleged incident. Per the outlet, McClanahan, who wore a floral outfit with a skirt and a crop top to the restaurant, alleged that she was approached by a Stab’s manager before she was seated. “And I’m like, ‘Excuse me, like, what’s wrong with what I have on?’ And she’s like, ‘Well, it’s just too revealing,’ ” McClanahan recalled. McClanahan told the outlet that when she explained to the manager that she had previously worn the same outfit at the restaurant and never experienced an issue, the manager allegedly responded by saying, “Well you can go to your car and put a jacket on or you can find somewhere else to eat.” In the complaint, McClanahan, who was the vice president of the Baton Rouge chapter of the NAACP at the time, was shocked by being refused service since the restaurant’s white patrons and employees "were dressed similarly." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to the restaurant's website, and cited in the complaint, Stab’s dress policy stated “business casual” and “proper attire required.” It also asked patrons to not wear clothing items, such as gym wear, sweatpants and revealing clothing. “Ms. McClanahan’s outfit did not fall under any of the specifically banned items listed in the policy,” the complaint claimed while also citing photos of attire previously worn by Stab's patrons shared by the restaurant's social media account that McClanahan alleged was more revealing than what she wore. Per the complaint, McClanahan “went to a nearby restaurant where she was not only served, but received several compliments on her outfit” after being refused service at Stab’s. The alleged incident, according to the complaint, left her “utterly humiliated by this act of discrimination,” while also claiming that "to be publicly discriminated against... was illegal." The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! “As she explained to WAFB News who interviewed her about the incident: ‘I left feeling kind of mortified, violated, ashamed and really humiliated because I had never had something happen like this to me as a working professional. You feel alienated and it’s like well what’s wrong with me. What’s the problem with me?’ “ the complaint continued. McClanahan has accused Stab’s of a civil rights violation, discrimination and negligence. The complaint added that she is seeking a trial by jury and compensatory damages. In a statement to PEOPLE, McClanahan’s attorneys said their client "decided to bring this lawsuit to ensure that selective enforcement of dress code policy and other forms of discrimination are not tolerated in restaurants and other public places." PEOPLE also reached out to Stab’s on Thursday, April 24, about the lawsuit. In a statement shared with WGMB last year shortly after the alleged incident, the restaurant wrote. “We have a dress code policy that we ask our customers to observe. A few times a month we speak with our guests about their attire, including asking them to remove baseball hats in our restaurant.” “Contrary to reports, our attire policy is not new, it has been in effect for over three years now,” the restaurant continued. “We spoke with a guest yesterday about her attire and she pointed out that we have waitstaff dressed in a manner that might not meet the standard of our attire policy. For the last several weeks we have actually been working on a different uniform, so that we are not asking a different standard for our customers than we are requiring of our staff.”