Girl Scout mom kicked out of Radio City and barred from seeing Rockettes after facial recognition tech identified her
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
An attorney from a law firm suing the parent company of Radio City Music Hall was kicked out of the venue after facial recognition technology identified her when she tried to see a Rockettes performance with her daughter and a pack of Girl Scouts.
Kelly Conlon, a senior associate with the New Jersey personal injury firm Davis, Saperstein and Salomon — which is representing a client suing a restaurant owned by the parent company, MSG Entertainment — told NBC New York that security guards approached her and asked for identification as soon as she arrived on the weekend after Thanksgiving. The guards ultimately turned her away from the show even though she is not involved in her firm's litigation against the company. Conlon's daughter and the rest of the Girl Scouts were able to attend the performance, she told the station.
"I was just a mom taking my daughter to see a Christmas show," she told NBC New York. "I did wait outside. ... It was embarrassing. It was mortifying."
A partner in the firm, Sam Davis, told NBC New York that Conlon's experience highlights the potential impacts of the widespread use of facial recognition technology, which has come under fire for contributing to wrongful arrests as a policing tool and surveillance of people of color and other more vulnerable populations without their consent.
"Taking a mother, separating a mother from her daughter and Girl Scouts she was watching over — and to do it under the pretext of protecting any disclosure of litigation information — is absolutely absurd," Davis told NBC New York. "The fact they're using facial recognition to do this is frightening. It's un-American to do this."
The Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall in New York in 2019. Craig Ruttle / AP file
MSG Entertainment, which also operates Madison Square Garden and several other major venues, introduced a policy in June barring lawyers from firms suing it from setting foot in its venues while litigation is ongoing.
About two weeks before Conlon was barred, her firm filed a complaint against the company's policy with the New York State Liquor Authority, alleging that MSG Entertainment's liquor license requires it to admit members of the public to its venues, other than people who may be disruptive and cause security threats, they told NBC New York.
A spokesperson for the liquor authority confirmed to NBC News that the agency opened the investigation, "as we do whenever we receive credible complaints," adding that state law mandates that "all retail licensees allow the general public access into their premises."
Davis, Saperstein and Salomon did not respond to questions from NBC News, including whether Conlon and other lawyers at the firm were made aware of MSG Entertainment's policy. A spokesperson for MSG Entertainment said it notified the firm of the rule twice in recent months — including on the day the firm filed the complaint with state liquor regulators.
MSG Entertainment told NBC News in a statement that facial recognition is just one of the methods it uses to ensure safety, adding that officials are confident their policy complies with all applicable laws.
The spokesperson declined to share how the company obtains data used in its facial recognition technology; Davis, Saperstein and Salomon includes photos of its attorneys on its website. The spokesperson added that a sign outside Radio City Music Hall informs visitors that facial recognition technology is among the security measures it has in place.
The spokesperson called the policy "straightforward" and said attorneys at firms pursuing litigation against it are welcome at its venues once the litigation is resolved.
"While we understand this policy is disappointing to some, we cannot ignore the fact that litigation creates an inherently adversarial environment," MSG Entertainment's statement continued. "All impacted attorneys were notified of the policy, including Davis, Saperstein and Salomon, which was notified twice. In this particular situation, only the one attorney who chose to attend despite being notified in advance that she would be denied entry, was not permitted to enter, and the rest of her group — including the Girl Scouts — were all able to attend and enjoy the show."
The spokesperson added that the policy applies to all attorneys at affected firms because the company doesn't know which one are working on litigation against it and because it prevents the policy from targeting individual attorneys.
The policy has come under fire from several firms involved in lawsuits against it, some of whom have unsuccessfully challenged the ban in court; at a hearing last month, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware Chancery Court called the policy "the stupidest thing I've ever read," Reuters reported.
New York court records show that more than 20 active lawsuits are pending against MSG Entertainment and its properties in the state.
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An attorney from a law firm suing the parent company of Radio City Music Hall was kicked out of the venue after facial recognition technology identified her when she tried to see a Rockettes performance with her daughter and a pack of Girl Scouts.
The attorney got kicked out of the venue that features the Rockettes kicking in unison. Now the attorney is considering kicking back with another lawsuit. She was kicked out when facial recognition soft identified her as an adversary. She's probably not the first person to get "faced" at Radio City Music Hall.
how convenient for the law firm she works for. there's a few facial recognition cases making their way thru the court systems seeking a precedent. gee, I wonder what fairly recent high profile incident concerning the use of facial recognition by LE to identify suspected criminals could be winding their way thru the judicial system now, or who could benefit having a legal dogear for future consideration at this particular time.
this incident has all the elements of another dastardly attempt by those mean lefty libs to legally discriminate against poor helpless conservative victims once again. /s
Don't get into an ass kicking contest with a fucking Rockette.
They can kick your balls into outer space.
For those who have any, that is.
As far as I'm concerned this great technological advancement is just what our society needs. It should be installed at every airport, every large sporting or etertainment event and of course, at polling stations.
Now let's see, who would be against this?
... a significant percentage of the 800+ J6 traitors now cooling their heels in a DC jail?
Mostly peaceful protestors are now considered to be traitors? Would that include Antifa and BLM?
it does for any of them that tried to obstruct a constitutionally mandated process for the peaceful transfer of power on J6.
Actually, it’s a very low percentage. The vast majority of the over 850 charged weren’t detained prior to trial.
So you are only counting the ones that were jailed prior to being found guilty?
Aren’t they the ones that cooled their heals in a DC city jail?
What percentage of those arrested and convicted cooling their heals in DC’s jail?
You left out churches ... that's where the true nutters congregate.
Yep, see all sorts of anarchist’s and antifa’s in church that’s for sure. Deep, deep faith in those fine Americans .....
Trotskyists like Steve Bannon also show up.
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Seeing as I have never flagged a comment, no!
Yeah, I didn’t say it was you. [deleted]
Why would you?
This is not a meta article Vic, move on.
You brought it up.
Should be everyone. Surprised you want the govenment tracking your every move vic.
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He only wants everyone else to be, not himself.
Hey, Paula! Long time no see! Hope you are doing well
Sounds too Big Brotherish. I thought conservatives didn't like Orwellian futures
Good to see you with us again, Paula. You have been sorely missed.
Yippee Ki Yay Big Brother!