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A lawsuit filed against Boston Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu says she racially discriminated against white restaurant owners.
She allegedly singled them out for a $7,500 outdoor dining fee, which only applied to their establishments but not others.
The plaintiffs are seeking $500,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.
Thrilled to meet Mayor Choi of Sejong City today! He’s working to make their bus system fare-free by 2025 & came to Boston to check out our progress. 🚌 pic.twitter.com/JBvqHS4lI8
— Michelle Wu 吳弭 (@wutrain) March 11, 2023
The lawsuit reads, “It is commonly known that the traditional owner of a restaurant in the North End of Boston is a white male of Italian descent, and the North End is generally regarded (as) the last true ethnic Boston Italian neighborhood.”
“The Plaintiffs had a right to be treated the same as other restaurants in the City who were granted outdoor dining and not singled out to pay fees … to have outdoor dining because of their sex or national origin/ethnicity as appears in this case,” the lawsuit continues.
Wu told reporters, “I won’t comment on ongoing litigation that the city is involved in, but I will say that we stand fully behind decisions that are to ensure residents can live in their neighborhoods with the full range of ease of access and safety and opportunity.”
Tucker Carlson Laughing At Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Getting Called Out By Boston Citizens Over Her Tyrannical Mandates During Livestream
"She looks completely stunned to learn that people don't love her. It's beautiful." pic.twitter.com/4KABCWQLN3
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) February 12, 2022
This isn’t the first time Wu has come under fire for racially charged statements. In the past, she joked that St. Patrick’s Day is about having to deal with “white” problems.
“I’m getting used to dealing with problems that are expensive, disruptive, and white — I’m talking about snowflakes, snowstorms, snowflakes!” Wu said.
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Those suing Wu include Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde, Carla Gomes, Jason and Kim Silvestri, and Patrick Mendoza, all of whom run restaurants in Boston’s North End neighborhood. In October, a judge dismissed a similar claim from the group when they said the fees imposed on them were unconstitutional.
Wu claimed the fees were necessary to ease traffic congestion and garbage disposal in the historic neighborhood, which was the only place in the city to be given the extra fees. After criticism, Wu eased the requirements somewhat and introduced a way some establishments could apply for exemption.
Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde, one of those involved in the suit, ran unsuccessfully for a city council seat last year in response to Wu’s restaurant fees, running on a platform of supporting law enforcement, small businesses, and maintaining the city’s historic monuments.