Dolan, MSG targeted transgender woman, sexual assault accuser according to federal lawsuit

"James Dolan's controversial use of facial recognition technology at MSG is more intrusive than previously thought, according to a discrimination lawsuit filed against the Midtown venue this week in Manhattan federal court. Donald Ingrasselino, a former New Jersey law enforcement official, alleged in the suit that he was wrongfully fired after repeatedly raising objections to MSG's surveillance practices and after seeking accommodations for his Type 1 diabetes."

"The venue's use of facial recognition, first reported in 2018, has drawn condemnation after fans said they've been barred from events simply for being critical of Dolan, who owns the arena. One fan discovered he was banned for life from MSG for a t-shirt he made years before, only when he arrived and had his face scanned at the venue. The software has faced legal and legislative pushback but, because it's a private venue, MSG has considerable leeway."

"In the lawsuit, Ingrasselino says his boss, chief security officer John Eversole, directed the security team to keep a transgender woman named "Mia" on the arena's "do not enter" list, telling staff to "keep him or it or whatever it is away from the [Knicks] players." Ingrasselino says the woman was targeted for her gender identity, not for posing any legitimate threat."

MSG employed facial recognition and a wide security apparatus that a lawsuit alleges was used to target personal enemies rather than protect attendees. Donald Ingrasselino, a former New Jersey law enforcement official, alleges he was wrongfully terminated after repeatedly objecting to the surveillance practices and after seeking accommodations for Type 1 diabetes. Fans have reportedly been barred from events for criticizing the arena’s owner, including a lifelong ban discovered only after face-scanning. The complaint alleges a transgender woman named "Mia" was singled out for exclusion and that staff were ordered to secretly record a sexual-assault accuser, an order the plaintiff says he refused.

Read at Gothamist