NEW YORK (AP) — New York's attorney general said Wednesday that Madison Square Garden may be violating anti-bias laws with its practice of barring lawyers from firms involved in litigation against MSG from its venues including Radio City Music Hall and the Garden itself.
The policy potentially affects thousands of lawyers at scores of firms and is being enforced through the use of technology that scans faces and checks them against a databank of lawyers from banned firms.
The attorney general's office said research has shown that facial recognition software “may be plagued with biases and false positives against people of color and women.”
The attorney general is asking MSG to respond by Feb. 13 and identify efforts the company is making to ensure compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws.
A request for comment was sent to a spokesperson for MSG on Wednesday.
MSG representatives have defended the ban, saying in a statement in November, “It is not unreasonable that while in active litigation, we would want to preserve our right to protect ourselves against improper disclosure and discovery."
New York state lawmakers introduced a bill earlier this week that would prohibit sports venues including Madison Square Garden from refusing entry to perceived enemies of their owners.
An MSG spokesperson said the bill’s sponsors were siding with “attorneys representing ticket scalpers and other money grabbers.”