Bathroom lawsuit accuses 2 more Columbia stores of race discrimination
COLUMBIA, SC -- Two more Columbia gas-station convenience stores have been accused in a second round of lawsuits of allowing whites, but not African Americans, to use their bathrooms.
That brings to seven the number of Columbia convenience stores to face racial discrimination charges in civil lawsuits filed in state court in Richland County.
The two stores sued most recently are Cayce Investments, doing business under the name of Gasway II, at 4007 Farrow Road, and Cheap Way Gas Station at 5400 Farrow Road.
On Wednesday, employees denied discrimination charges.
“We don’t have a public bathroom,” said Raj Thiara, clerk at Cheap Way gas station. “It’s not about race or anything. We don’t have a public bathroom – it’s a private bathroom.”
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article161061089.html
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In his autobiography, Jimmy Carter talks about working to end segregation when he first served on the local school board in the '50s. 
instead of a "public" bathroom for a justification to deny use of the bathroom. I don't know the laws of South Carolina, but establishments of a certain size are required to have public bathrooms so if they get declared as "private" does that mean the business is shut down? 
And I don't know, either, but I imagine it would depend on business size - or type of business. The problem would be if it's "public" for some folks and not others. I don't know if they can shut them down, but since it's a federal law, they could certainly tie them up in court. 
This made me think of the movie "Hidden Figures," about the amazing contributions of (three) black women to the early space program (really good movie! 
). The main character would be missing from her desk for long periods - and she had an essential job - because the only bathroom she was allowed to use was in another building. It was a nightmare in bad weather. This was 1961. 
