A Judge Dismisses a Case That Aimed to Prevent Formula One Races From Being Held in Miami
A federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit brought by a group of Miami Gardens residents in an attempt to stop Formula One from holding races at Hard Rock Stadium.
In a Tuesday order, District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. wrote that the suing residents provided no evidence that the county, Formula One and others conspired to intentionally discriminate against them by hosting the race at the stadium, where the Miami Dolphins play. Scola added that they failed to prove how hosting the race at the stadium was akin to hosting it in Downtown Miami, where Dolphins owner Stephen Ross originally wanted to hold the Miami Grand Prix before protests upended his efforts.
“Indeed, many of the complaint’s allegations indicate that the County’s decision was driven solely by race-neutral economic and political motivations,” wrote Scola, who also denied a request by the residents to amend their lawsuit and directed the clerk to close the case. “While it is certainly plausible that the harms alleged will disproportionately impact Black residents, simply by virtue of the fact that [more than 70%] of Miami Gardens’ population is Black, that alone is not enough to show discriminatory intent.”
