Pride Community Ctr. of N. Ctrl. Fla. v. Ron Chambers Group, LLC

(Fla. Div. of Admin. Hrgs. 2014)

All people should be able to access places of public accommodation, including facilities that offer lodging, food, entertainment, health care, professional services, or recreation. However, federal and state law currently do not provide explicit protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity at places of public accommodation. Several cities and counties, including Gainesville, have added sexual orientation and/or gender identity as protected classes under local human rights ordinances to provide these protections. SLC represented the Pride Community Center of North Florida in a discrimination suit on the basis of sexual orientation under Gainesville’s human rights ordinance based on a pattern of discriminatory towing of its visitors. The Gainesville Human Rights Commission issued a probable cause finding, and prior to the hearing, the parties reached a settlement agreement that resolved the ongoing parking disputes and provided clear protocols related to towing of Pride Center visitors.