Photo Courtesy of NOLA
On May 25, 17-year-old Sanai Butler was celebrating her graduation at Lula Restaurant Distillery on St. Charles Avenue, in New Orleans, when the restaurant ended up calling the police on her because a woman, alleged to be the owner’s wife, didn’t like the bikini top that she was wearing.
According to NOLA, no one was arrested that day.
However, La Shawn Butler, Sanai’s mother, said the restaurant’s decision to involve the New Orleans Police Department was excessive and hurtful.
She said, “I feel it was racially motivated.”
Sanai’s mother also mentioned that the white woman, identified as Erin Bourgeois, approached Sanai in a bathroom instead of at the table where adults were present.
“This is a child at the end of the day — if you had something to say about her outfit, you could’ve approached me as her mother,” Butler said.
A statement released by the restaurant on Facebook stated that “The police were called after three disruptive, adult patrons engaged with another table of patrons, and one of the female owners of Lula.”
Sanai’s family claimed that they were never made aware of a dress code before arriving.
NOPD confirmed that it went to Lula’s on Tuesday to respond to “a disturbance about a female’s attire,” the restaurant issued a statement saying the call was made during “a verbal altercation” to ensure the safety of all patrons.
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The restaurant reportedly apologized to the diners who were present during the incident, including “any person who feels that Lula discriminated against them based on their attire or race.”
“We are working with our team, including management and ownership, to determine what should have been done differently and to ensure an enjoyable restaurant and dining environment for everyone,” the statement said.
A newly hired Lula employee vouched for the Butlers’ recount of events, saying it seemed the cops were bothered at the reason they’d been called out to the restaurant.
“It didn’t have to get to that point,” the employee said.