Owners of Rapid City hotel resolves lawsuit alleging discrimination against Native Americans

By Mitchell Now November 13, 2023 10:54 am

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WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that the owners and operators of the Grand Gateway Hotel and the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino, a hotel and sports bar located in Rapid City, South Dakota, have entered into a consent decree resolving the Department’s lawsuit alleging that the defendants discriminated against Native American customers in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Under the consent decree, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, Connie Uhre will be barred from serving as an officer or director of the company or from exercising any management duties or being involved in any operations on behalf of the Grand Gateway Hotel for four years. The defendants will also issue a public apology and send it specifically to tribal organizations in South Dakota and throughout the Great Plains region.

The Department’s lawsuit, filed in October 2022, alleged that, since at least March 20, 2022, the Retsel Corporation and two of its directors, Connie Uhre and Nicholas Uhre, discriminated against Native American customers through policies and practices that denied Native Americans the full and equal enjoyment of access to the services, accommodations, and privileges at the Grand Gateway Hotel and the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino.

Specifically, the complaint alleged that on or around March 20, 2022, Connie Uhre told other Rapid City hotel owners and managers that she did “not want to allow Natives on property…. The problem is we do not know the nice ones from the bad natives…so we just have to say no to them!” Uhre then announced on Facebook that “[w]e will no long[sic] allow any Native American” in the Grand Gateway or in the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino. The complaint further alleged that on at least two occasions, on March 21 and March 22, 2022, respectively, the defendants turned away Native Americans who sought to book rooms in the Grand Gateway.

The apology, issued as part of the consent decree, will include the following statement:
“We extend our sincere apology to all for the statements made by Connie Uhre on March 19-20, 2022, regarding Native Americans. Ms. Uhre’s comments were not consistent with the values or polices of our company or of our businesses, the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Sports Lounge. We deeply regret the pain or harm Ms. Uhre’s statements have caused within our Native American community. We want to make clear that we welcome all Native Americans to the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Sports Lounge.”

The consent decree also requires that the defendants retain a compliance officer to oversee compliance with its terms, implement and publish an anti-discrimination policy, institute a complaint process, undergo training, and develop an affirmative marketing plan. These provisions will be in effect for the next three years. Title II prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation, such as hotels and places of entertainment. Under Title II, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division can obtain injunctive relief that changes policies and practices to remedy the discriminatory conduct. Title II does not authorize the division to obtain monetary damages for customers who are victims of discrimination.

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