The Black Urban Times
A Jamaican immigrant in the United States trying to achieve the American dream with his Caribbean restaurant, Chef's Orchid, says that dream has turned into a nightmare thanks to a Port of Authority cop bent on putting him out of business.
Otis Stone claims PA cop, Lt. Jack Ryan has been harassing him for almost two years ever since Stone applied for a liquor license for his restaurant. The 42-year-old proprietor says Ryan ran interference during the application process, and when Stone went over Ryan's head to obtain the license, things really got nasty.
Initially, Stone says Ryan's acts of harassment were limited to childish name-calling as the cop referred to his restaurant. located in a cargo space at John F. Kennedy Airport, as "the 'hood" and implied the Jamaican cuisine was "black food." According to Stone's lawsuit, things took a turn for the worse after a small fire ignited and Ryan used the incident as cause to shut the eatery down for 30 days.
The New York Post reported that Ryan arrested Stone sometime after that and issued summonses for "illegal bottle clubbing" and warehousing, a move the Jamaican immigrant believes was allegedly backed by Port Authority officials.
Ryan, nor Port Authority officials have made any statements about the suit, arrest and alleged harassment, but Stone says he believes Ryan and the PA want to oust him from the spot, which caters to airport personnel. He gave no specific reason why they would want him out, but added that his lease does not expire until 2012.
The former dishwasher has filed a $10 million lawsuit alleging discrimination and harassment.
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