A member of the armed forces is now suing the MGM Springfield for $1.5 million, claiming he was wrongfully accused of having sex in the parking garage.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Hartford, Connecticut resident Samuel Richardson alleges that casino employees' conduct constituted harassment, slander, carelessness, and a breach of his rights, causing him severe anguish and costing him a $1.2 million business opportunity.

The lawsuit claims that on the evening of June 21, Richardson, a regular player of slots at the casino in southern Massachusetts, came to the property and parked his van on the third floor of the garage. Just before midnight, he walked into the casino and made his way to the bar.

Only close friends

According to the petition, a lady Richardson emphasizes in his complaint was a “good female friend” showed up at around 12:15 a.m., and the two then went to play bar slots and drink.

Richardson realized he had left his smokes in his van at around 12:30, when he decided he wanted to smoke. To get them, he went to the parking garage with his companion.

According to the lawsuit, Richardson had beach chairs in the back of his vehicle, and the two sat there talking and smoking.

Richardson saw a female security guard drive by the van many times at this point, stooping to peer inside. The plaintiff, however, feels that the height difference between her automobile and the van prevented her from getting a glance inside.

The security guard confronted Richardson and ordered him to leave the property when he got out of the car to inquire about the problem. According to the lawsuit, Richardson re-entered the van to drop his acquaintance off at her vehicle while the guard persisted in "harassing" him. He claims that he was so worried about her treatment of him that he recorded it on his phone.

Barred Entry

After that, Richardson left the casino to grab some food and came back shortly after. However, the same security guard denied him entry to the casino.

According to the complaint, a man identifying himself as “Scott” showed up when the plaintiff asked to speak with her supervisor. According to the lawsuit, Scott told Richardson that the guard had accused him of having sex in his vehicle, which the plaintiff calls "a complete lie and unfounded."

“Samuel feels he was unjustly harassed, denied entry, and subjected to false claims,” reads the lawsuit. “He missed a critical meeting with an important investor at 5 a.m. due to the harassment, which potentially cost his company a business deal worth $1.2 million. As a veteran who fought for this country, Samuel will not tolerate being treated differently or with disrespect.”

Misfiled Lawsuit?
Richardson is requesting that he be allowed to return to MGM Springfield as a client "without further harassment or discrimination," in addition to monetary damages.

The plaintiff might be barking up the wrong tree, though, given that the lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Connecticut rather than Massachusetts. According to federal regulations, a case must typically be filed in the district where the defendant resides or where a significant portion of the incident took place.

MGM has been contacted by Casino.org about the case. In general, the business stays silent about ongoing legal disputes.