Suit: Orioles cap led to beating at pub

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Mar 31, 2008 by Brendan Kearney

As baseball fans greet the beginning of the 2008 season, three Orioles supporters still have their minds on last year.

Patrick B. Nagle Jr., Stephanie Eyre and James Krabbe have no complaint about the exciting game they saw on April 20, where the home team rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays. It's what they say happened afterward, at the Claddagh Pub in Canton, that has them mad enough to sue.

In a lawsuit filed last week in Baltimore City Circuit Court, the friends allege they were beaten by overzealous bouncers eager for any excuse -- wearing an O's hat indoors, in this case -- to exercise their authority.

For the beating they allegedly took that night, they seek $500,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages from the Claddagh and its bouncers on counts of malicious prosecution, assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and $500,000 from the pub for negligent hiring and retention.

"These are all good people," said Ray M. Shepard, attorney for the plaintiffs. "They weren't causing a scene. They were just trying to enjoy celebrating the Orioles' victory and they ran into some folks who were looking for trouble, and that's unfortunate."

A man who answered the phone at the Claddagh Friday morning declined to identify himself or refer the call to a manager or the owner, and also declined to comment on the allegations. The pub takes its name from the Irish fishing village where the famous design of two hands holding a crowned heart -- an emblem of love, friendship and loyalty -- originated.

According to the suit, shortly after the plaintiffs arrived, Brant Fisher, a security guard patrolling the second-floor of the pub, approached Krabbe and asked him to take off his Orioles cap. There was no posted dress policy, the suit notes, and many other patrons were wearing baseball caps.

"It's kind of a silly thing to tell somebody, in a bar like that where everyone's wearing baseball cap, to take your baseball cap off," said Shepard, of Duane Morris LLP in Baltimore. Shepard also said his clients had frequented Claddagh "many, many times."

But Krabbe, a Baltimore real estate agent, complied and walked over to the bar where Nagle, who lives in Towson and owns a Web site management business, was about to buy a round of drinks for everyone there that night, according to the suit.

"Mr. Krabbe jokingly said, 'If we are going to order $500 in drinks, I get to wear my hat,'" the suit states.

Fisher was not amused by Krabbe's reasoning and hinted that he was no longer welcome, telling him to "[h]ave a nice night," the suit states.

Krabbe took his hat off a second time and placed it on the bar, but Fisher insisted he leave, according to the suit. When Krabbe reached to get his hat, Fisher grabbed him and, with the help of another bouncer, escorted him toward the stairs, the suit states.

When Eyre intervened on Krabbe's behalf, Fisher "grabbed Ms. Eyre and pushed her with great force, ripping her shirt," and Eyre "was sent reeling and crashed into a wall of the Pub," the suit states.

Nagle, Eyre's boyfriend, then punched Fisher in the face, and "melee" ensued, according to the suit.

Eyre was nearly thrown down the stairs; Nagle was pinned to the ground and taunted by Fisher; and Krabbe was strangled by an unnamed security guard, the suit states.

"Mr. Krabbe saw stars and his vision began to narrow," the suit states. "He thought he would either pass out or die."

Police arrived on the scene and placed Nagle under arrest, according to the suit.

In September, Fisher filed criminal charges against Nagle. But the security guard did not show up for Nagle's trial the next month, the suit states, and the charges were nolle prossed.