KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Civil rights organizations are joining a federal lawsuit filed by three Black business owners who claim the Westport Community Improvement District conspired to keep them out through discriminatory practices.
The three businesses, The Sourze, Euphoric and UniKC, filed the lawsuit earlier this year, alleging the Westport CID and property owners made discriminatory comments about the “hip hop” crowd they attract, linking it to violence.
The lawsuit said this violated their leases and blocked their business plans.
Christopher Lee, one of the business owners suing the district, said he faced barriers despite meeting requirements.
“I paid my deposit. I gave them a concept. It wasn’t good enough,” Lee said.
The Urban Council, a coalition of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, NAACP–Missouri State Conference, SCLC–GKC, and the Urban Summit announced it will file an amicus brief in the case to show how the court’s ruling could impact the community.
“We hope that it will just add weight to the case,” said Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.
“I think it’s important to have national support, that we elevate this problem to the national stage, because by bringing the World Cup to Kansas City we’re going to be on a global stage. Now, people are going to be watching, and we need to lift this up now before they put even more attention on us around the world,” Grant said.
The organization is demanding Kansas City leadership take action with a few requests:
“They need to deal with those types of things and have systems in place legally binding these CIDs to discourage and to sanction them for those types of actions,” Grant said.
Lee’s attorney, Stephen Williams, said the support from civil rights organizations is significant.
“It feels good to see people of different backgrounds, different ages, different economic statuses coming together to say that this matters to us, and we won’t stand for it,” Williams said.
Lee said discrimination often happens behind closed doors.
“Well, with systemic racism, you don’t see it. You don’t understand it. It’s the conversations behind closed doors that we’re not privy to. So, you got to keep fighting, you got to keep asking questions,” Lee said.
The Westport CID responded in a statement:
The Westport Community Improvement District strongly refutes the allegations made by Euphoric, Unikc, and The Sourze. While we can’t discuss active litigation, we are confident the facts will show these claims are without merit.
Westport is one of Kansas City’s most diverse and welcoming districts. For decades, people of all backgrounds have lived, worked, and opened businesses here. Diversity isn’t just a value we believe in — it’s good business and a key reason Westport remains a vibrant destination.
The Westport CID was created to support public safety, cleanliness, and economic vitality. Local property owners fund these services through a fair assessment model based on property size and operating hours — not on sales or alcohol revenue.
Nearly two-thirds of our budget goes to public safety, including contracted security, supplemental patrols, and technology that helps keep businesses, residents, and visitors safe. The rest supports maintenance, beautification, insurance, and infrastructure.
Westport uses a voluntary Good Neighbor Agreement to encourage consistent standards for late-night operations. It promotes accountability, cooperation, and shared responsibility among businesses in a busy entertainment district.
The CID is governed by an 11-member volunteer board, subject to Missouri law and state audit requirements. Board members do not manage leases or select tenants — those decisions remain with individual property owners.
Westport will continue to work every day to support a clean, safe, inclusive district that benefits everyone — business owners, residents, employees, and visitors alike.
The Urban League expects the city to respond to their requests by Friday. Mayor Quinton Lucas’s office said it had no comment.
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Westport business owner’s lawsuit gains civil rights support, demands action from city – KCTV
