Michele Joseph, a disabled individual who has sued numerous Las Vegas businesses, recently filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada against Harrah’s Las Vegas, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The suit claims Harrah’s has numerous violations of the ADA regarding parking, accessibility, public restrooms, guest rooms and policies and procedures.
The lawsuit alleges that Harrah’s has multiple violations of the ADA involving parking, accessible routes to the business from parking, access to goods and services, public restrooms, guest rooms, and policies and procedures. Harrah’s owners Caesars Entertainment declined to comment.
In the lawsuit, Joseph is described as a “tester” who enters businesses with the intention of “discovering, encountering and engaging discrimination against the disabled in public accommodations.”
Joseph, Mark Allison and the American Patriots Advocating for Disabled Rights have filed at least eight similar lawsuits in the Las Vegas area since 2001, including Budget Suites of America, Palace Station and Super 8 Motel. American Patriots reached out-of-court settlements with the Las Vegas Hilton, Blockbuster Video and L.A. Wilshire Corporation. Attorneys for Budget Suites described the American Patriots Advocating for Disabled Rights “professional litigants that have created a cottage industry by exploiting Congress’ well-intentioned statute, the Americans with Disabilities Act, into an income-producing mechanism.”
Allison and the American Patriots group are not parties to Joseph’s suit against Harrah’s.
Joseph’s attorney, Robert P. Spretnak, said disabled people frequently have access problems in more than one place. He added, “There is very little money to be made in these lawsuits.”
