Suit-happy lawyer sues theaters over free popcorn

San Diego attorney Albert G. Rava is charging discrimination again. He has filed a suit in Superior Court charging that in a ten-day promotion last year, AMC Entertainment offered free popcorn to federal employees, but not to state, county, and city employees, according to Courthouse News Service.

The lawsuit charges that super-affluent federal workers such as North County Congressman Darrell Issa, worth more than $220 million, could munch for free while others had to shell out hard-earned cash for their popcorn.

In 2004, according to SFGate.com, the Oakland A's baseball team had a breast cancer awareness day, featuring free mammograms and free hats for the first 7500 women through the gate. Rava sued, claiming the free hats discriminated against men. In 2003, he filed suit against Club Med, which advertised free or discounted trip to women. That same year, he sued San Diego nightspots over similar gender-related indignities; the bars settled for $125,000.

In 2006, Preston Turegano of the Union-Tribune wrote how Rava and paralegal Steven Surrey had sued or threatened to sue San Diego arts groups, including Lamb's Players Theatre, Spreckels Theatre, and the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Through the years, Rava has filed dozens of suits, often for discrimination against men.