Nellie’s issues a statement in response to continued protests. Read it here.
Bar hires Ruby Corado as the Director of Community Engagement and pledges "to do better"
Nellie’s Sports Bar has issued a full statement in response to recent protests against the bar, following an incident caught on video on June 13, 2021, depicting a female patron, Keisha Young, being dragged down the stairs by a security guard.
As a result of an investigation into the incident, D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration has referred Nellie’s Sports Bar to the office of Attorney General Karl Racine, setting into motion an investigation that could lead to the LGBTQ sports bar being fined or losing its license.
Nellie’s attempted to reopen to the public on Tuesday, July 13, but the effort was blocked by protestors, who formed a human chain, blocking the entrance.
Nellie’s full statement follows:
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- Nellie’s has named Ruby Corado as our new manager and Director of Community Engagement. Ms. Corado, who also serves as the executive director of Casa Ruby, has a 29-year career as a passionate advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ bilingual and multicultural community in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. She will assist in ensuring that all of Nellie’s staff receive ongoing diversity sensitivity and inclusion training — with a focus on the concerns of LGBTQ+ people of color.
- Since our opening more than a decade ago, Nellie’s has given more than $1 million dollars to the community in direct and in-kind support to a wide array of organizations. We will continue to proactively support diverse organizations – especially those nonprofits aiding marginalized neighbors and residents.
- We have created a customer feedback page on our website, and any concerns reported will be acted upon within 72 hours.
- All of our managers and staff have completed professional conflict de-escalation training, and regular and routine training of this nature is now a part of our onboarding process for any employee.
- During the ongoing pandemic, Nellie’s was forced to close like many other businesses, but dedicated itself to being a vital part of the community by using its own resources to provide free meals to first responders and other workers involved in serving the community during the health crisis. This work will continue.
Related: Community organizers react to Nellie’s statement in response to protests
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