Houston lawyer shares video of confrontation at Post Oak

Video reviewed by Chron appears to show hotel staff not enforcing the establishment’s business casual dress code or no-hats rule for all of the bar’s patrons. In the first few seconds of the video, a group of patrons can be seen leaving HBar. At least two of them are wearing cowboy hats while one is wearing jeans with large holes on both knees. As the group walks by, a hotel staff member can be heard confronting Powells about the bar’s dress code.

“If this continues like this, I’m happy to have security involved, and again, if you don’t feel comfortable with the approach of the hotel regarding the dress code, probably you won’t visit the hotel another time,” the staff member continued. The video ends after the staff member asks Powells to stop recording their conversation.  

“[Dress codes] are a typical method used to discriminate against minorities or other people that you don’t want in your establishment,” Randall Kallinen, the Houston attorney representing Powells in the matter, told Chron. “Vague terms are used to exclude people by having a dress code, but after review of the evidence, there were several Caucasian people that definitely would not fit the bill,” Kallinen added.

Post Oak Hotel General Manager Steven Chou told Chron that the hotel adheres to a strict “no ball caps” policy while still allowing cowboy hats. 

“We have a strict business casual dress code in HBar. No ball caps are allowed. However, we do allow cowboy and full-brimmed hats, which Mr. Powells is welcome to wear. We appreciate that our guest took a video with his phone, however, we both have clear and convincing evidence that shows he is just wrong,” Chou said. “At the appropriate time, we will present our evidence in court and clearly prove that our guest has filed a frivolous lawsuit.”

The hotel did not respond to questions regarding the presence of patrons wearing ripped jeans on the premises at the time Powells was asked to remove his hat. The Post Oak Hotel site states “a strict dress code is always enforced in public areas including the lobby level and venue outlets. Excessive revealing attire in these areas will result in expulsion from the property. Business casual attire required in the lobby and public areas after 6:00pm.” However, the site’s guidelines do not specify whether patrons are allowed to wear hats nor draws a distinction between ball caps and cowboy hats. 

In 2022, Powells sued a downtown Houston cocktail bar for racial discrimination after he was allegedly denied entry because he had “holes” in his jeans that violated the club’s “very strict” Saturday dress code. Powells alleged in court documents that he “observed non-African American males with open-toe sandals, tennis shoes, and otherwise very casual type attire enter the club” after he was turned away.