COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Former Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Lem Barney and his wife are suing a Detroit-area pizza chain for racial discrimination after being refused service.
The lawsuit filed in Detroit's federal court Monday says Lem and Jacqueline Barney went to Happy's Pizza in Commerce Township Nov. 2.
The lawsuit says that when they tried to order, the manager told them to go to Happy's Southfield location because "they would be more at home there."
The Barneys are black. Southfield has a majority black population and Commerce Township is mostly white.
The lawsuit says the Barneys called the police. The restaurant manager told an officer that the Barneys were denied service because workers were preparing for a corporate catering event.
The Associated Press left a message Monday seeking comment from Happy's Pizza.