Fishman Haygood Successfully Defends Superdome Manager in ADA Lawsuit

Fishman Haygood successfully defended the manager of the Superdome, SMG, in a lawsuit alleging that the Superdome’s 100 Level accessible seating did not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  The plaintiff in Bailey v. Board of Commissioners of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, et al. (Case No. 2:18-cv-5888) alleged that the accessible seats in Rows 1 and 36 of the Superdome’s 100 Level violated the dispersion and sightline requirements of the ADA and that SMG failed to make the 100 Level accessible “to the maximum extent feasible” as part of its alterations to the Superdome in 2010.

In March 2020, Fishman Haygood partner, Lori Mince, and senior associate, Mike Dodson, represented SMG at a bench trial of the matter before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  Following the trial, Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown ruled in favor of SMG and the owner of the Superdome and dismissed the plaintiff’s claims with prejudice.  In her ruling, Chief Judge Brown acknowledged and clarified the “often confusing and contradictory standards” applicable to this area of the law and found that (1) the plaintiff failed to show a violation of the ADA with respect to the seats located in Row 36 and (2) the seats in Row 1 had been made accessible to the maximum extent feasible.

Lori Mince and Mike Dodson have experience defending against claims brought by plaintiffs under the ADA and related disability-discrimination statutes, including claims concerning structural alterations, website accessibility, architectural-barrier removal, and policy modifications. If you need advice concerning disability discrimination, please contact Lori Mince at [email protected] or Mike Dodson at [email protected].  See the formal announcement here.