Jackson Walker Wins Summary Judgment Dismissing Dynamo Stadium in Civil Rights Case

November 23, 2015 | Client Results



Jackson Walker secured a dismissal for Houston’s Dynamo Stadium LLC, manager of Houston’s major league soccer venue, in a civil rights lawsuit involving the waving of a Palestinian flag by an attendee at a Honduras v. Israel soccer game.

The plaintiff, a Palestinian American, sued Dynamo Stadium LLC, the Stadium security manager and four unnamed Houston Police officers alleging her civil rights were violated when Stadium security asked her to cease waving the Palestinian flag and stated it was a “racial slur.”

After taking depositions, the Jackson Walker moved for summary judgment. In granting the motion, the judge ruled that the plaintiff did not provide evidence that the defendants acted on account of the plaintiff’s race, ethnicity or national origin or that the government was involved in the defendants’ actions, both necessary requirements for a civil rights case to go forward.

Jackson Walker lawyers Nancy Wells Hamilton and Joel R. Glover represented Dynamo Stadium LLC and the Stadium security manager, Nathan Buchanan.

“There was no evidence of the government actually being involved in this incident,” said Nancy in an article about the case published in the Houston Chronicle on November 19, 2015. “Nor was there any evidence that the stadium personnel were enforcing any city ordinance.”

“There was no evidence that the stadium personnel were aware of her race and nationality,” Nancy said. “There were no violations of her civil rights,” as the court so found.