Phil Katsinas

Peoria, IL: (May-26-07) Five protesters, Robert Leonard, William Cook, Diana Waters Delso, David Wegeng, and Roger Fontana filed a civil rights lawsuit against Phil Katsinas, owner of the Round Barn Restaurant, alleging racial discrimination. The suit, filed in March 2005, claimed that Leonard, Cook, Waters Delso, Wegeng, and Fontana, who are all of American Indian Heritage, were kept out of an event at the Round Barn Restaurant on Feb. 28, 2004, because of their race. Court records show there was an Honor the Chief Society reception and rally at the restaurant that night for supporters of Chief Illiniwek to recognize the student who was the outgoing Chief portrayer at the time. Katsinas countersued, claiming defamation. In a trial scheduled for July 2005, the lawsuit was dismissed. In a settlement reached in the US District Court in Peoria, Judge John A. Gorman approved the settlement of $22,500 payment by Katsinas to the plaintiffs. As part of the settlement, a countersuit filed by Katsinas claiming defamation against the five people also was dismissed. [NEWS GAZETTE: RALLY RACIAL DISCRIMINATION]

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Published on May-28-07