Peter Casbar and Noel Robichaux, a gay couple in their 40s, were gay bashed in July 2007 by employees of a Burger King in Union City, New Jersey, after what should’ve been a routine placing of an order turned into a violent altercation where BK staffers chased the couple out of the store before beating, kicking, and spitting on the men while screaming anti-gay slurs. A jury, which began hearing the 17-count case earlier this month filed under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination, just awarded them $3.15 million, which includes $1.7 in punitive damages; the couple’s attorney did not specific how much money they were seeking.
The defendants were Food Service Properties Corp. and Union City Restaurant Corp., which owned the Burger King location, and not the fast food giant. Angel Caraballo and Christopher Soto, two employees involved in the attack, had already plead guilty of aggravated assault — which makes you wonder how the food companies didn’t conclude a settlement would be a cheaper option. A psychiatrist testifying for the plaintiffs said the couple now suffers from “manifestation of post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, withdrawals, and a chilling of their 11-year relationship.”
Harbo
Great News!!! Maybe this will teach those minium-wage fuckers what can happen when they show their stupidity and prejudice. Hope they get some jail time to boot. BK burgers are shitty anyway.
southernyanki
@Harbo: Hey Harbo Dont be such of DOUCHE this minimum wage fucker is niether stupid or prejudiced by anyones skin coler or the size of there wallets. I swear you stuck up queens make me sick. PS burger king makes a decent burger for the buck AHOLE.
Mac McNeill
@southernyanki:
Sounds like a straight burger flipper to me. Are you Southernyanki?
Scott Bonzitski
To me, it does not matter that this couple is gay, this scenario should have never played out to begin with. No one should be treated this way and I am glad someone paid. SB
Harbo
@Mac McNeill: You also can’t spell. “There” wallets should be “their” wallets. Look it up.
Harbo
Mac McNeil: My last post was meant for “southernyanki.” Sorry about that.
NMV
I can almost bet these guys are closet-queens. Union City is filled so many “DL” guys its ridiculous. They end up hating themselves for not coming to terms with who they really are and lash out at those gay men who are happy with themselves. They put up a front. Believe me, I know from personal experience. I must’ve banged countless “DL” dudes from U.C. and West NY with the same dumb mentality.
Scott
I frequent Burger King in the northeast and the employees have always been very nice to me. I’ve identified a couple of the employees as gay or lesbian.
I understand what the article means about the “chilling” of an 11-year relationship. My life partner and I had burglars break into our home and come into our bedroom while we slept. We chased them off and feel very lucky that no weapon was used. That was 6 years ago and we’re still on guard despite having an alarm system. My life partner didn’t go into the basement (where they entered) for years, not even to do laundry. In the evening when I wake him up on the living room couch to go to bed he still is startled. If I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night he startles awake when I return to bed. It pisses me off that he hasn’t dealt with his fear. I’m glad we don’t have a gun because I’m afraid he’d blow me away in the dark in an instant reaction.
These people are terrorists as far as I’m concerned. At least this couple was able to face their abusers and take back their dignity. My burglars are long gone and there will be no justice.
scott ny'er
i think these 2 things from the news articles are important to quote. It’s ridiculous that the guys getting pummeled were charged with harassment. Not surprised by the police doing this… but still effed up.
=======
“The manager and a group of angry restaurant employees chased the couple and then mercilessly kicked, beat and spat upon the two men while screaming hate-filled anti-gay invectives,” Fine said in a statement.”
Originally Robichaux and Casbar were charged with harassment when police arrived and found them being pummeled by at least Soto and Caraballo. Those charges were dropped.
Jay
@Scott: I can totally understand where you’re partner’s coming from Scott. I am scared to death of a home invasion type burglary. You’re both very lucky to have escaped your incident without injury.
Right Wingers Are Socioptahs (John From England)
@southernyanki:
Ignore the trolls, I’ve worked in all sorts of places whilst in further education.
alan brickman
the couple was drunk….
DJ
Damn that’s some good money.
codyj
wow, good ‘ole’ southern yanki an his (big) 3rd grade education,,shame he cant SPELL…but its not required when your the RESTROOM ATTENDANT at county fairs (please tip) lol,lol,
codyj
work hard,southern yanki…maybe someday you can get a ‘doublewise!!!lol
codyj
doublewide lol)
[email protected]
Great news! Though, how or why precisely did the employees simply start attacking this couple? What set them off? (Not that there’s any excuse, of course, I’m just curious.) And, as a bashing survivor (it was a neo-Nazi skinhead), I can attest that PTSD is common in bashings!
TTime
In spite of this attack, I find most Hispanics pretty cool about gays.