Discrimination: Boulder Restaurant Owner Sues Denver Landlord

BOULDER, CO – A Boulder restaurateur wanting to expand to Capitol Hill in Denver has claimed in a federal suit that he faced discrimination because of his race and religion when the landlord said she would not rent to him because he was a Muslim.

Rashad Khan, who manages the family-run Curry N Kebob in Boulder, is a party in a discrimination lawsuit filed after a fellow restaurant-owner Craig Caldwell was turned down by his landlord when he tried to sublet a space to Khan, according to a story published by KUNC.

Caldwell, who runs a White Fence Farms chicken restaurant, wanted to sublet his space at 9th Avenue and Corona Street in Capitol Hill to the Khans, who are Muslim and of Bangladeshi descent, KUNC reported.

On his cell phone, Caldwell recorded his landlord, Katina Gatchis, in December at the liquor store she runs in Capitol Hill. In the conversation, which can be heard on KUNC, Gatchis is heard saying she wants and "American person ... good like you and me."

She is also heard saying "muslims from the middle east" cause her problems, and making explosion sounds "Bomb, boom. Bomb, boom. This kind type, they are very dangerous, extremely dangerous."

Even when Caldwell points out in the recording that the Khans have better financial stability than he does, the landlady rejects that idea.

On tape, Caldwell tells Gatchis about Khan, "He's stronger [financially] than I am."

"No he's not," Gatchis said.

"Yes he is," Caldwell replied.

"You're American," Gatchis told Caldwell. "You know that? Lot of difference. You know that?"

Gatchis, the lawsuit claims, has violated federal civil rights law and violated state and city unit-discrimination laws, according to the plaintiffs' Denver law firm, Rathod-Mohamedbhai.

"When minority communities are completely locked out from certain aspects of society, from commerce and business opportunities, it keeps an entire community down," attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai told KUNC.

Hear the recordings here at KUNC here.

Read Khan and Caldwell's complaint here:

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