News

Gay couple awarded $3.15 million in Burger King beating case

February 27, 2011

Food Services Properties Corp. and Union City Restaurant Corp., which owns seven Burger King restaurants in the New Jersey area, was ordered to pay $3.15 million last week to a gay couple beaten by two of their employees.

The award includes $1.7 million in punitive damages.

According to the Jersey Journal, Angel Caraballo and Christopher Soto, two employees of the Union City Burger King, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the 2007 attack on Peter Casbar, 43, and Noel Robichaux, 46, both of Union City.

The civil trial began Feb. 7 and was filed under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination. The couple accused the Burger King employees of chasing them after they left the restaurant, and then kicking, beating and spitting on them while screaming anti-gay slurs.

Attorneys for Casbar and Robichaux said the men were unable to speak after the assault.

The jury deliberated three hours before coming back with its decision Feb. 23.