Q: What was the outcome of the case where the two guys were required to give up their seats to women at a bar in Phipps Plaza?
--Morris Wyatt, Atlanta
A: A federal jury decided in September that former NBA player Joe Barry Carroll and Atlanta attorney Joseph Shaw did not have their civil rights violated by the Tavern at Phipps five years ago, the AJC reported. Carroll and Shaw were drinking at the restaurant when they were asked to give up their seats to two women in exchange for a free round of drinks, which was an unwritten rule there. Carroll and Shaw are both black and the women are white. Carroll and Shaw said the Tavern at Phipps "used the policy to harass black patrons and keep the bar and its patio predominantly white," according to the AJC article. Carroll and Shaw were asking for more than $3 million in damages. The jury was evenly split by gender and was comprised of seven whites and three blacks.
Q: Who names U.S. Navy ships? Is there a system?
--Dan Wilmarth, Marietta
A: The Secretary of the Navy has held the responsibility of naming the navy's ships since an act of Congress on March 3, 1819, according to an article by the Naval History & Heritage Command, the official history program of the Department of the Navy.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
