KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville attorneys filed a response to Aramark's request that some evidence be struck from a hearing, after a complaint that the Neyland Stadium vendor had sold alcohol to minors on many different occasions.
The response to the "motion to strike" was filed on Nov. 28, 2022. In it, the city said that even though Aramark denied several counts in the original non-compliance complaint, they have not provided an answer to some of the violations it noted.
It also claimed that Aramark's applications for subsequent beer permits after its original were based on technicalities, and said that "simply having a new permit number does not erase the previous violations committed by Aramark."
It goes on to claim that Hearing Officer, who is expected to preside over the hearing on Aramark's beer permit, is required to take into account the company's full history when deciding whether the company can keep its permit.
"The actions that occurred following those violations are not 'scandalous' or 'immaterial' but rather informative to the Hearing Officer as to whether a fine or suspension is an adequate sanction on Aramark," the city response said. "In this case, the proof will show that requiring repeated submittals of remedial plans and the issuance of fines to did nothing to prevent Aramark employees and representatives from continuing to sell beer to underage individuals."
The response also claims that the city is not required to prove that there are "chronic" violations at Neyland Stadium. Instead, it is only required to prove that there were violations.
It also emphasized that Aramark is not absolved of responsibility for the premises just because the University of Tennessee also operates it.
The response ends with the city asking Aramark to completely answer the complaint filed by the city on Oct. 19, 2022.
Aramark previously said it typically has 160 places for people to buy alcohol. With sell-out crowds, it said it averages about 40,000 beverages sold per game.