Bartender Ignored Drunken Racists’ Threats and Abuse Prior to Beating: Lawsuit

JOLIET, IL — A pair of drunken racists “verbally assaulted” and threatened a man at a Joliet bar before following him outside and brutally beating him, according to a lawsuit filed in Will County court.

A bartender at Malnar’s Tap & Pizza looked on as the two drunken racists abused and threatened Andre Tidwell — the man they would eventually beat up outside — and did nothing about it, the lawsuit said.

While the lawsuit says Tidwell was beaten up by the two men, he is suing only Malnar’s. The incident supposedly happened in June 2015.

The suit said the men “were visibly intoxicated” at the Clement Street bar, and that they “confronted (Tidwell), called him racial names, verbally assaulted him and threatened him with bodily harm.”

The unnamed bartender “witnessed the threatening actions of (the men) against (Tidwell) and did nothing,” the lawsuit said.

The bartender also did nothing when Tidwell left the bar and the two men followed him out, the lawsuit said. The men then allegedly “brutally attacked (Tidwell), causing him severe injuries.”