PITTSBURGH – A Pittsburgh Steelers season ticket holder alleges she was treated rudely by stadium personnel and then defamed by being wrongly accused of using a racial slur towards another stadium employee working during the game.
Jane Doe filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on Dec. 27 versus PSSI Stadium, LLC, Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc., A National Football League Franchise (doing business as “The Steelers Pittsburgh Football Club”), Acrisure Stadium, its Director of Guest Experience Travis Baker, Jean Doe and John Doe.
“On or before Jan. 8, 2023, plaintiff Jane Doe, had been a Pittsburgh Steelers season ticket holder for twenty-nine years, with her seats located in the stadium, owning and holding a seat license that she had purchased from the defendants. On or about Jan. 8, 2023, plaintiff Jane Doe and an acquaintance, attended a Pittsburgh Steelers game wherein they sat in plaintiff’s seats, with the intention of moving to her acquaintance’s seats, located in another section once plaintiff’s daughters arrived. After the conclusion of the first quarter, plaintiff Jane Doe and her acquaintance received notification that plaintiff’s daughters had arrived at the game. At that time, plaintiff and plaintiff’s friend began to make their way to her acquaintance’s seats in another section,” the suit says.
“As plaintiff and her acquaintance were making their way to the other section via the inner circle, defendant John Doe came upon the plaintiff and plaintiff’s friend, and, for no clear reason, began following them, yelling at them to get to their seats, as they were in the process of doing. Upon making it her acquaintance’s seats, plaintiff Jane Doe noticed several employees of defendant PSSI wearing blue jackets and standing along the sides of the walkway. As plaintiff and plaintiff’s friend were about to walk the steps up to their seats, they noticed that a play was about to begin, so they stopped and bent down so as not to block the view of said play from other attendees.”
The suit continues while the plaintiff and her friend were waiting for the play to finish, defendant John Doe, who, for no clear reason, who had been following them since they began their journey to Section 505, suddenly and aggressively yelled, “Get to your f—ing seats,” into the face of plaintiff Jane Doe, which caused spit from defendant John Doe to fly onto plaintiff’s face. After defendant John Doe suddenly and aggressively yelled in the face of plaintiff, she replied, “I am going to my f—ing seats, and you spit on me!”
“Plaintiff and her acquaintance then made their way to the acquaintance’s seats. Shortly after arriving to their seats, several ushers appeared and motioned for plaintiff and her acquaintance to come down out of their seats to the landing. Upon following the ushers, plaintiff questioned what this was about, to which defendant John Doe stated that plaintiff Jane Doe and plaintiff’s friend had made a racial slur to an employee of defendant PSSI. Plaintiff Jane Doe refuted this defamatory statement, replying that ‘f—’ is not a racial slur, and inquired as to who she allegedly had made this racial slur at. Defendant John Doe, informed plaintiff that she had said ‘F— you, n—r’ to defendant Jean Doe, who is a young African-American female in a blue jacket, with blonde braids. Plaintiff Jane Doe again denied this defamatory statement as she had never seen nor noticed defendant Jean Doe until after plaintiff and her acquaintance had been motioned to leave their seats, and said to defendant Jean Doe that ‘you are a liar,’ to which defendant Jean Doe went and hid around the corner of the area, with her head down,” the suit states.
“Plaintiff Jane Doe repeatedly denied this defamatory statement, one that could not be confirmed by any of the other employees of defendant PSSI, in blue jackets and ushers. Plaintiff continued to advise the employees of defendant PSSI, which included defendant John Doe and defendant Jean Doe, as well the Director of Guest Experience of the falsity of the accusation but to no avail, as the Director of Guest Experience, defendant Travis Baker, informed plaintiff Jane Doe, that ‘she needed to leave’ and called police to escort the pair out as she and her friend were being ejected from their seats and the stadium. Plaintiff Jane Doe, because of the false and defamatory statement made by defendant John Doe and defendant Jean Doe, was escorted out of the property known as Acrisure Stadium, by two police officers, without ever being told the names of defendants John and Jean Doe. Defendants’ accusation that the plaintiff used a racial slur is defamatory on its face.”
On or about Jan. 14, 2023, the plaintiff says she received a letter from defendant PSSI and signed by defendant Travis Baker, which informed her that, in response to the false and defamatory statements made by defendants John and Jean Doe, her season tickets were being revoked, she would need to complete a four-hour class and pay a fine of $250 in order to reinstate her season tickets and to regain access to the property leased by defendant PSSI from defendant SEA, known as Acrisure Stadium.
The suit adds that as a result of these defamatory communications from the defendants, the plaintiff Jane Doe has sustained the following damages: a) Loss of her good name; b) Loss of her social reputation; c) Shame; d) Past and future embarrassment and humiliation; e) Loss of the ability to enjoy the pleasures of life and; f) Dollars and cents of the imposed fine, in order to keep her access to her season tickets and set licenses and attendance at a series of classes for those who have suffered false and libelous claims.
For multiple counts of defamation, libel, slander, intentional infliction of emotional distress and conspiracy, the plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of the jurisdictional arbitration limits, plus interest and costs.
The plaintiff is represented by William F. Goodrich of Goodrich & Geist, in Pittsburgh.
The defendants have not yet obtained legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-014655
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com