The Tuscaloosa City Council and Mayor Walt Maddox condemned a local restaurant after one of its owners used a racist slur to refer to Black customers there, but said the city cannot legally punish them.

As most readers already know, Nick's Original Filet House has gone from being one of the area's most famous and beloved steakhouses to one of its most reviled after a manager there called about a dozen Black customers n*****s during a birthday party there in late July.

The manager, Jack Moltz, is married to the owner of the restaurant better known as Nicks in the Sticks, who also appeared in the now-viral video long enough to threaten to call the police on the outraged but peaceful customers.

Moltz has admitted to using the n-word and apologized in a televised interview with WVUA 23.

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On Tuesday night, many of the Black customers who were discriminated against appeared before the Tuscaloosa City Council to share their stories and ask what could be done about the disgraceful treatment to which they were subjected.

Moundville resident Toronto Wilson is the father of the 22-year-old whose birthday was being celebrated at Nick's that night.

"This has reached not just our community, not just our city, not just our state, it has reached our nation," Wilson said, who told the council he's having conversations with people from New York to California about this racist behavior - not what Tuscaloosa wants to be known for.

He asked what could be done about what happened at Nick's last month.

"90 percent of [my son's] friends are white because he grew up in Hale County, which is predominantly white. For him to have seen something like this destroyed him," Wilson said. "For us as Tuscaloosans to continue to allow this to happen, I can't understand it, I don't understand why it continues to happen."

Although the majority of the city council and Mayor Maddox condemned the incident in no uncertain terms, they also said their hands are tied across the board when it comes to consequences for the restaurant.

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO USE THE N-WORD

Most importantly, Tuscaloosa city attorney Scott Holmes said there is no circumstance in which they can revoke the business license for Nick's for this.

It is worth noting the council has done so or threatened to on several occasions over issues at businesses with Black owners.

"They are within the police jurisdiction and as such they have to receive a business license from the city of Tuscaloosa," Holmes said. "I want to say I have heard the folks that have talked today, I saw these videos last weekend - as reprehensible as anything that was said is, there is a First Amendment right to say it."

Holmes said people are free to boycott Nick's and stop spending money there, but the council can't vote to shut them down.

"The repercussions for that are economic repercussions. It's people not going to an establishment anymore," Holmes said. "But that's not something the council can take action on."

NO AUTHORITY TO PULL LIQUOR LICENSE

Toronto Wilson also noted that the city granted Nick's a liquor license and accused manager Jack Moltz of being drunk when he called them the slur. He said they should lose their license if staff is drinking on site.

"My question is how do we allow a liquor license to be given to a business owner who stands behind the bar the entire time the business is open and drinks?" he asked.

But Mayor Walt Maddox said after the city grants a license to sell alcohol they have no more agency in the matter.

"The city can only grant liquor licenses, the city has no ability to take a liquor license away in the state of Alabama," Maddox said. "Only the ABC has the authority to do that."

Lisa Young, the President of the Tuscaloosa Chapter of the NAACP, also spoke and asked why she could not be provided with a copy or transcript of the 911 call that drew TPD to Nick's that night. No one was arrested or hurt.

Holmes told her 911 calls are kept by a non-city agency, the E-911 board, and they will not release them without a court order.

OFFICIALS CONDEMN RACIST BEHAVIOR

Although they said they were powerless to do anything about it, the council and mayor did take time to publicly speak against what happened at the restaurant that night.

"I've seen the fake apology. I feel like [Moltz] lied, he said he wasn't the owner but if my wife owns something guess what, I'm the owner, and he is too. He's lying and he's liable," said councilman Cassius Lanier, who said he was related to several of the people discriminated against. "I'm glad I wasn't there because he would probably eat those words and this seat would be vacant."

"I hate that happened to you all, especially on a celebratory note. I stand against racism against any group of people or individuals," said councilwoman Raevan Howard. "I hope it's something the community and everyone else can learn from and know how hurtful those effects are."

Council President Kip Tyner said this is a first for him, even after decades in government.

"I cannot admire the family enough for your restraint and class and how you all handled yourself in that situation. I really commend you for that," Tyner said. "You can't fix stupid and you can't fix ignorance and that's what I saw in that video. It was horrible. I've lived here my whole life and never seen anything like that or heard that at a restaurant where people are dining and that's your customers, your clients. I couldn't believe it."

Maddox also decried the restaurant and praised the family for their reactions.

"What you experienced, as mayor of this city, is sickening. This is not my hometown, this is not who I went to high school with, these are not the values that we all share," Maddox said.

"Your response has met the worst with the best. You have set an example for all of us. I don't know if that brings much comfort but for me, it makes me damn proud to call myself from Tuscaloosa," the mayor concluded. "May God continue to bless you and know this - That is not our city."

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