NEW YORK: Restaurant Pays $25K To Customer After Anti-Gay Attack

Lambda Legal reports a positive resolution in the case of a Queens restaurant patron who was attacked by the manager in an anti-gay assault. Via press release:

“I was attacked and threatened by people yelling terrible anti-LGBT slurs, throwing things at me and threatening to sexually assault me,” said Lambda Legal client Liza Friedlander.”On that day, I felt helpless, humiliated and frightened, but todayI’m so proud that I stood up and did something about it. No one should have to go through a nightmare like that.” On September 18, 2010, Liza Friedlander and two friends went to Sizzler Restaurant 0489 in Forest Hills, Queens for the breakfast buffet. What was intended as a relaxing, enjoyable meal turned into a horrifying ordeal of discrimination, violence and degradation.Defendant Edgar Orellana, in front of other restaurant patrons, shoved Ms. Friedlander in the chest, causing her to fall backward, and kicked her while yelling for her to get out of the restaurant and calling her a “fucking dyke.”

The restaurant chain paid Freidlander $25,000. My initial coverage of the incident is here.