GREENE COUNTY — A man who claims he was discriminated against while trying to get into an event at the Nutter Center has contacted the Department of Justice.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Jason Davis was trying to find a parking spot when he ran into some problems.
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Davis was a deputy for 20 years in Greene County. He was hurt on the job and now struggles to walk up steps.
When he showed up to the WWE SmackDown event at the Nutter Center, he was hoping to park in one of the handicapped parking spots in lot 9, but he says a security guard wouldn’t let him.
“I had a handicap placard visible, which is what we’ve always been told to do is make sure it’s visible, so we have no issues getting in or out. So, we had to go around to the front of the Nutter Center and into the far side of it where we were able to find a couple spots up there,” Davis said.
Davis was flustered but still determined to get into the event with his daughter and her boyfriend.
He quickly found a different security guard and asked her where to enter with handicapped tickets.
“And she looks at me and she’s like, ‘Well, you don’t look handicapped. So, you’re not coming in this entrance.’ And I said, excuse me? What do you mean I don’t look handicapped? And she’s like, ‘You’re getting around just fine,’” Davis said.
Davis was hurt three years ago while on patrol. He was trying to get a tree limb out of the road after a windstorm.
“The tree snapped, and it threw me across the road. And when I landed, I landed on my gun belt and my flashlight, and it basically blew my femur apart in four different spots,” Davis said.
Davis had surgery and now has pins and rods in his leg, making it hard for him to walk up and down stairs.
“I waited a few days, and I gave the director of operations at the Nutter Center a phone call and he absolutely sounded like he was angry, but again, I haven’t heard any more from him,” Davis said.
A spokesperson for the Nutter Center told News Center 7 that they bring in contractors for things like parking and security when big events happen.
Wright State University said the contractor working at that event is Ohio Entertainment Security.
News Center 7 reached out to the company, but they said they didn’t work the event.
The university added that they’re taking this seriously and looking into the allegations.
Davis said he’s waiting to hear back from the Department of Justice.
“My only thought was how many other people she talks to, or you know, what was the rationale behind saying something like that,” Davis said.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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