Biloxi Shuckers president sued by co-owner for racial discrimination, nonpayment of $227,500
Racial discrimination is the reason the president of the Biloxi Shuckers baseball team hasn’t paid co-owner Tim Bennett the more than $200,000 he is owed, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. federal court claims.
Bennett is owner of Overtime Sports and a co-owner of the Shuckers franchise. He has been a business partner with Ken Young, also a co-owner of the Shuckers, since before the Huntsville Stars moved from Alabama to become the Biloxi Shuckers after the 2014 season.
The lawsuit says Young has a contract to pay Bennett $100,000 each January.
Young hasn’t paid that amount for over two years and now owes Bennett $227,500, according to the lawsuit.
“Defendant (Young), a Caucasian individual, has honored his business obligations and contracts with his Caucasian business partners and vendors but has failed to honor his contractual relationship and obligation to plaintiff (Bennett) because he is an African American,” the lawsuit claims.
Bennett is asking for a jury trial and to be compensated for the money he says he is owed. He’s also asking for punitive damages for “emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life” he said he has suffered from Young’s actions.
Young has 21 days after receiving the summons to answer the complaint to Bennett’s attorney, Tony Gaylor with Chambers & Gaylor Law Firm in Jackson.
Young said Wednesday he had not yet received the lawsuit and had no comment.
“It is very unfortunate that we’re here again, but this situation is starting to have a significant impact on my personal and business life,” Bennett told the Sun Herald.
Others may be involved
The lawsuit lists John Does 1-10, who are individuals or entities believed to have committed acts against Bennett and will be discovered and named during the course of the lawsuit.
Bennett lives in Jackson, where he now operates the Hank Aaron Sports Academy.
Michael Plant, president and CEO of the Atlanta Braves Development Company, said he worked with Bennett when he was building the Trustmark Stadium in Jackson and continues to be involved with his efforts at the Hank Aaron Sports Academy.
“If Hank were still here he’d be really proud of him,” Plant said of Bennett. He’s been a real advocate for youth and the minority community, he said, and has the backing of the governor, the mayor and the Atlanta Braves organization.
Young lives in Florida, but the lawsuit says the acts alleged in the complaint were committed in Mississippi.
Actions committed by Young have damaged Bennett’s business relationships and his ability to operate his business, resulting in a revenue loss, the lawsuit says.
Those actions allegedly have affected his consulting business and management company at MGM Park, the home stadium of the Biloxi Shuckers, and in Jackson, where Bennett has a management agreement with the city for Smith-Wills Stadium.
History of issues between Shuckers owners
This isn’t the first time Bennett claimed Young has discriminated against him.
Bennett, who teamed up with the city of Pearl and the Atlanta Braves, went on to build Trustmark Stadium just outside of Jackson. Atlanta Braves Double-A affiliate, the Mississippi Braves, played in their new stadium in 2005.
It took 10 years, but Bennett then was instrumental in getting MGM Park built in Biloxi and the Biloxi Shuckers played their first home game there in June 2015.
In 2017, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Young and Biloxi Baseball, claiming they interfered with his exclusive rights to market and schedule special events at the Biloxi stadium, including the Conference USA Baseball Championship Tournament Bennett brought to Biloxi.
Bennett said he was stripped of his title as vice president and didn’t feel welcome in his own front office, in part because of the color of his skin.
“There’s absolutely no discrimination,” Young said in response to the lawsuit. “It’s a personal problem between the two of us that we need to rectify.”
Bennett settled the lawsuit with Young and the Shuckers in 2018. He didn’t reveal the terms of the settlement but did say, “I am still one of the owners of the team and I have been named vice president.”
Editor’s note: A lawsuit represents only one side of a legal argument.
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 10:38 AM.
