By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

The merits of the discrimination case filed against a nightclub in the Power & Light District remain to be seen.

Clearly, the seven African-Americans denied admission to the Mosaic Lounge felt they were banned on the basis of color. But apparently people of all races get turned away somewhat frequently by that particular nightclub. Civil rights lawyer Arthur Benson, who is representing the group, has his work cut out.

A more immediate concern for the Power & Light District is a city Human Relations Department report after sending testers into the central courtyard area and the Lucky Strike bowling lanes.

According to today's KC Star story:

The department sent 11 similarly dressed males, ages 22 to 32, to the district. Trhee were white, five black and three Hispanic....The test showed that white patrons were allowed in 100 percent of the time, even though one white male improperly wore long athletic shorts. The test also showed that the males of color were allowed to enter nine times out of 16 visits.

The story notes that the Human Relations report "did not conclude that the district discriminates."

That's very restrained of them. A lot of people are reasonably going to conclude otherwise.

The response of Cordish national director of operations Zed Smith -- that he questioned the validity of the test because three of the black testers were admitted and two were not -- really doesn't cut it for me.

The fact remains that a tax-subsidized entertainment district repeatedly is accused of treating people of color by different standards than white patrons. Excuses aren't working. Cordish needs to make sure its businesses treats people fairly, or else the city should return to the idea of limiting dress codes in tax-subsidized districts.

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