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Two men who say they were denied service and ordered to leave a Salt Lake City bar because of their Polynesian descent filed a federal lawsuit against the bar's owner Monday.
Frank Maea and Stephen Wily allege that a Willie's Lounge bartender asked whether they were Polynesian and told them she could lose her job if she served them.
Other Willie's patrons "expressed shock and encouraged the bartender to serve" the men, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court and assigned to Judge Robert Shelby.
Instead, the complaint says, the bartender told the men, "You guys got to leave now."
The incident garnered widespread media attention when Maea posted a video he recorded from the bar, shared on Facebook more than 5,000 times.
Bar owner Geremy Cloyd told media in the following days that he was sorry for the actions of his staff, but he admitted that he'd told bartenders they could turn away Polynesian customers because of troubles he said some had caused in the past.
Reached by phone Monday evening, Cloyd said he was not immediately able to comment about the lawsuit, which seeks an injunction against discriminatory service at his bar and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
The plaintiffs' attorney, Jessica Andrew, said her clients aren't "out to crucify anybody."
"I think this was a mistake made more out of ignorance than out of hate," she said.
While watching Cloyd's media appearances last week, Andrew said she had the impression that Cloyd means to make amends but that he's not sure what to apologize for.
"It really needs to be taken seriously," Andrew said. "It's something that won't be tolerated. However, let's talk about it. We're hoping this is a tool to effect change."
Andrew said Maea and Wily likely would not be available for comment while the lawsuit is unresolved. Should Cloyd be receptive to discussion, Andrew said, she expects a swift resolution.
Utah has the nation's largest per capita share of residents of Pacific Island descent, at about 37,000, according to U.S. census data.
On Saturday, more than 50 people gathered outside Willie's Lounge, 1716 S. Main St., to call for increased tolerance.