Wayne Carey, a former professional Aussie Rules player, has threatened to sue Crown Casino Perth after he was kicked out over a suspicious bag of white powder that was in his possession. According to his lawyer, Carey will sue the casino for disability discrimination.
The Incident Led to a Two-Year Ban for the Hall of Famer
Last Thursday, the Hall of Famer was kicked out of the casino after a small bag containing white powder dropped from his pocket and fell onto a gambling table. Other gamblers and staff saw the bag and as a result, Carey was escorted out by security.
Not only that, but he also received a two-year ban from all Crown casinos. The incident caused Channel 7 and Triple M to remove Carey from his positions as a pundit.
According to Josh Bornstein, Carey’s lawyer, he has been punished under the assumption that the bag was filled with illegal drugs. In a statement, Bornstein explained that Carey is actually suffering from “debilitating football injuries.”
Some of those injuries include a neck injury and a bad shoulder. He went on to say that as a result of these injuries, Carey needs three disc replacements and the shoulder also needs replacing. To deal with the pain, Carey was prescribed “anti-inflammatories and pain-killing medicine,” per Bornstein.
As a concluding matter, Bornstein stated that he’s questioning whether his client is being discriminated against just because of the disability caused by Aussie Rules.
West Australian Police confirmed last week that it was made aware of the incident and that is looking into the case. While talking to Perth radio station 6PR, Commissioner Col Blanch stated that since the casino did not confiscate the substance, it will be hard to prove whether the substance was actually illegal.
An Advocate for Disabled Aussies Considers the Disability Accusations Laughable
After Carey’s attorney stated that he suspects that his client was unlawfully treated because of his disability, several disability advocates voiced their opinion. One of those is Carly Findlay, an advocate for disabled people and a person that has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her services to people with challenging conditions.
Findlay wrote a tweet in which she stated that she’s looking forward to seeing Carey’s “career as a disability rights advocate.”
She also spoke to News Corp. where she stated that the things that some people are willing to say in order to “get out of a serious offense” are at times laughable. She also labeled Carey a privileged white man by saying that when privileged white men try to get out of various offenses, things are much harder for everyone else.
Raoul Wainwright, a Union activist, also condoned Carey’s behavior by saying that these acts cheapen the reason “the laws were established in the first place” on Twitter.