Coast businesses, including casinos, want answers about spring break

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 12:32 p.m.

Treasure Bay and President casinos say the Black Springbreak 2000, which ended Sunday, cost them and their employees thousands of dollars in lost revenues.

The three-day gathering was marked by violence, including the Saturday shooting death of a spring break participant by a Gulfport police officer during an apparent struggle, and other violence.

The two casinos are among a group of businesses and individual assault victims who are gathering information for possible legal action, Treasure Bay Chief Executive Officer Bernie Burkholder said Wednesday.

The group could possibly file a lawsuit against the event's promoters to recover monetary damages. Or they could take steps to seek the removal of Mississippi Coast Coliseum director Bill Holmes for allowing promoters to book the event.

Authorities say the gathering turned into uncontrollable and sometimes lewd street partying that tied up U.S. 90, where most of the casinos are located, and other coast roads.

"I'm as angry as I can be at what happened to me and happened to my employees," said Burkholder, who estimated the casinos lost $500,000 in revenue because the gridlock and lawlessness kept customers away.

"The group is very determined," he said of those considering legal action. "They feel to a large part betrayed by a lot of public officials they had counted on to maintain order."

"They want to make sure they are identified and disciplined, up to and including termination, and that something like this never happens again in our community," he said.

The casinos would not name others who are considering joining in a possible lawsuit because it's not clear how many of them, if any, will have a viable claim for damages, nor is it clear whom they might sue.

"We're not going to overreact," said Greg Bosarge, general manager of the President. "We're exploring our options."

The main question the group wants answered is who solicited the event and promoted it.

"Did they have knowledge of its history and the size of this event?" Burkholder said. "Or were they duped into signing them with little or no knowledge of the consequences?"

Burkholder numbered the potential plaintiffs in a lawsuit at close to a dozen.

"I have three phone messages on my desk from people interested in getting involved," he said.

The issue drew a larger-than-usual turnout Wednesday at a meeting of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Hotel-Motel Association. The private group closed their meeting so members could candidly discuss Black Springbreak without being quoted.

Outside the meeting, John Mladinich, president of Le Chateau Inn in Biloxi, was also looking for answers.

"The Coliseum Commission has an obligation to this community to provide entertainment that's in the best interest of the community, not the worst," said Mladinich.

Holmes was out of town and could not be reached for comment.