Dolan defends the exclusions as a property owner's choice
James L. DolanMSG Entertainment chief executive, interviewed on Good Day New York
Dolan defends the exclusions as a private venue owner's decision about whom to admit.
“This is just about owning property, you know, any, a bakery, right? A restaurant, right? You get to say who you serve, right?”
Interview
Where this statement fits
James Dolan defends MSG's facial-recognition lawyer exclusions; New York officials object
In January 2023, James Dolan defended MSG Entertainment's use of facial recognition to bar lawyers at firms suing the company, saying a property owner may choose whom it serves. Letitia James and Brad Hoylman-Sigal objected that the policy punished people for pursuing legal claims. A New York appeals court later held that state law requires MSG to admit ticket holders to concerts and theatrical shows but not sporting events, with damages as the only remedy. MSG described the exclusions as a safety measure in 2025, and WIRED reported in May 2026 that MSG had revoked the tickets of a lawyer suing it.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
Dolan argues that a private venue may exclude lawyers involved in litigation against it. The article also carries MSG's explanation of the policy and its exceptions.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Dolan appeared on Good Day New York to discuss facial recognition and MSG's lawyer exclusions.
After the quotation
Dolan compared excluding litigating lawyers with a bakery declining business from a customer suing it.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Reference point: MSG's policy of excluding lawyers at firms with active lawsuits against it. Dolan argues that a property owner may choose whom it serves, which justifies the policy. Challenged the characterization is the closest alternative and loses because Dolan defends the policy itself rather than only disputing how critics describe it.
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More from this case
Read the full caseEFF criticizes MSG's exclusions and warns they could spread to protesters
Electronic Frontier Foundation
“Madison Square Gardens was recently caught using this technology to exclude employees of a law firm that sued the venue’s parent company. ... A business could easily extend this kind of “enemies list” to people who, online or on the sidewalk outside, protest a venue’s discriminatory policies.”Read statement
Williams rejects employer-based venue exclusions
“Individuals should not be removed from a place of business, because their employer is involved in legal action against said business.”Read statement
NYCLU calls MSG's ticket-holder exclusions an example of surveillance dangers
New York Civil Liberties Union
“The widely reported deployment of facial recognition at Madison Square Garden to ban people from the stadium that had already purchased tickets ... illustrates the dangers from the growing surveillance industry and the urgent need for comprehensive privacy protections.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Dolan defends the exclusions as a property owner's choice". First published: 2026-10-18. Last updated: 2026-10-18. https://disputeindex.com/events/5895-dolan-defends-the-exclusions-as-a-private-venue