Bill Cosby's May 2 appearance at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center came amid a firestorm over claims that he sexually assaulted dozens of women over his career.
One of Cosby's most prominent foes is civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing some of the women making claims against him. Allred was in Cobb on May 2, but she was not allowed into the show, according to a federal lawsuit she filed this week against Cobb County.
"I was planning to be at the performance and view the performance," said Allred at a press conference in Atlanta. She was not, she said, planning to protest during the show.
Though she explained this to the officers, she was told that if she refused to leave, she would be considered a "criminal trespass" and could be arrested. She and others were turned away, she said, based solely on their viewpoints about Cosby.
Allred left, as did 12 others who were prohibited from entering, said Allred's attorney Cary Wiggins. About 70 names appeared on a list which had been compiled by the Cobb County Police Department in conjunction with Cosby associates.
"Cobb Energy Centre is owned and managed by an authority that is a government entity," said Wiggins. "When government decides who can attend a public performance in a public venue based on their viewpoints, there is a problem."
The suit names Cobb County, the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority and the authority's director, Michael Taormina. You can peruse it for yourself here.
Our AJC colleague Rodney Ho corroborated Allred's account in his account of the concert back in May:
Why ID? Employees checked a list of more than 30 people not allowed to enter the venue, many who had publicly stated in web forums that they planned to disrupt Cosby during his show. Famed attorney Gloria Allred and Bonnie Upton, who lives in New Jersey, were among those turned away.
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