James L. Dolan
Role at the time: MSG Entertainment chief executive, interviewed on Good Day New York
Defended or excused
Statement summary
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?”
Open the original interview (opens in a new tab)James Dolan defends MSG's lawyer-exclusion policy in a FOX 5 interviewFacial recognition and property-rights exchanges; company statement at the end
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)Why we used 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.