Bartender who says he was forced to repay money after armed robbery sues
A Las Vegas bartender who said he was forced to pay back thousands of dollars after being robbed at gunpoint filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against his former employer.
Edward Parker, 42, said he was working at the Lodge at Hualapai, 3460 S. Hualapai Way, at 6:30 a.m. Dec. 4 when a stranger entered.
“A gentleman entered the bar, pointed a gun at me, robbed my bar,” Parker would later tell the Clark County grand jury that indicted a Las Vegas couple in the heist. The crime was caught on surveillance video.
The crime sparked outrage on social media, after Parker said the bar forced him to pay back the $3,937.35 stolen during the robbery.
Representatives of the Lodge could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.
“Edward was physically shaking because he was so traumatized and upset,” the lawsuit stated. “He was emotionally overwhelmed by the entire ordeal.”
The lawsuit alleges that Parker was told to sign a form saying he would pay the money back or face termination “mere hours” after the robbery. Parker knew that another bartender had faced a similar situation and been fired after refusing to sign the agreement, according to the lawsuit.
Parker paid back the money over the ensuing months, but left the company after a dispute about taking time off. He is seeking damages for a number of related issues, including wrongful termination.
The Lodge had previously been one of several bars accused in a 2016 lawsuit of deducting money from bartenders’ checks.
Las Vegas lawyer Christian Gabroy said a settlement of about $217,000 was reached to resolve all claims.
Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan @reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.