Fired captain claims he lost job for refusing to keep boat at dock

Friday, Dec. 8, 2000 | 9:38 a.m.

Gary Hill filed a state district court lawsuit Thursday against Louisiana Casino Cruises, the parent company of Casino Rouge, one of two floating casinos that operate on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge.

The suit claims the casino questioned Hill's decisions on when it was safe or unsafe to cruise and eventually fired him.

Only riverboat casinos in Shreveport-Bossier City are allowed to stay dockside fulltime. The boats in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and the New Orleans area are supposed to make eight, 90-minute cruises daily unless water of weather conditions make it too dangerous.

However, those boats typically stay dockside for much of the time since a vessel's captain can cite almost any weather- or safety-related reason for not cruising.

Hill's suit claims he was fired in August because he refused to violate the law and "remain at the dock in conditions that require the vessel to sail."

Casino Rouge attorney Joseph Brantley said the allegations are "absolutely incorrect" and that Hill was among 13 casino workers laid off because of a work force reduction.

Contributing to the decision to fire Hill were concerns about his judgment, Brantley said. There were several occasions when Hill had to return to the dock because he cruised in unfavorable weather conditions, Brantley said.

The decision on whether Casino Rouge stays dockside is left to the duty captain, Brantley said. "Under no circumstances, at any time, was (Hill) ever told to say dockside," he said.