Sydney nightclub The Carter denies discrimination claims

A Sydney man is pursuing action with the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board after being denied entry to a Sydney CBD nightclub named after music megastars Beyonce and Jay Z.

A Sydney nightclub named in honour of a music industry power couple has denied claims that it blocked entry to customers on the basis of their race.

The Carter, on O’Connell St in the CBD, takes its name from Beyonce Knowles Carter and husband Shawn Carter, known as Jay Z, although it has no official connection with the couple.

It has been accused of refusing entry to people of South Asian descent.

One complainant is considering lodging a claim with the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board over allegations it’s entry policy is discriminatory. The nightclub has strenuously denied the discrimination allegation.

Yannick De Silva, 23, is one of several partygoers who said they believed they have been discriminated against.

Yannick De Silva outside The Carter. Picture: Brett Costello

“We were trying to go in and they basically took aside two Indian girls and separated them from white girls and said ‘not today’,” he said.

“Another couple of my friends tried and they let the white people go but not them.

Rangan Alagaratnam lodged a complaint with Fair Trading NSW but was told they could not intervene in a situation where money has not been exchanged.

He is now pursuing action with the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board.

“The Carter Sydney (is) intentionally stopping people of brown skin,” he wrote on social media.

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“Going to such lengths as to let them wait in line and reach the front only to have security stop them and start allowing people of other skin colour only walk through from the back.”

The Saturday Telegraph spoke to 10 people about their experience at the venue on O’Connell St.

All were denied entry in separate, unrelated incidents.

All of them have South Asian heritage.

The Carter on O’Connell St in the Sydney CBD. Picture: Brett Costello

One woman who visited The Carter with a friend was asked to leave.

“I was completely sober. The guard came over and said ‘You need to leave’,” the 25-year-old said.

“I asked ‘Why?’, and he said: ‘There’s too many of your people here’.”

Another patron said he was denied entry while men of other backgrounds were allowed in.

Former president of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board Stepan Kerkyasharian said venues could be liable under the Anti-Discrimination Act even if the discrimination was not explicit.

“My advice is don’t try and increase your chances of profit through discriminatory policies,” he said.

A spokeswoman for The Carter said they deny all allegations. “We totally reject the insinuations and allegations presented within your email against The Carter. It is for this reason that we will decline to comment any further,” she said.