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Two same-sex Michigan couples are suing MGM Grand Detroit, alleging that the casino security did nothing to stop the assault on them by a Texas man. The couples claim that security guards did not call police or intervene and instead recorded the attacks on their phones.
The assault occurred in July 2025 following a concert. Couple Celia Haueter and Chelsi Way from Livonia, Michigan, who have been married since this incident, were the main victims when William Wilson of Texas and another unnamed man physically attacked them and called them homophobic slurs. The couple, who were both 30 years old at the time of the incident, were with another couple, Way’s brother Zachary Chearhart and his fiancée, David Supal.
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Targeted Hate Crime at MGM Grand Detroit
The two gay couples were targeted for simply being gay, according to Way:
We’re in fear, because as you know, gay couples going out in public, we’re always in fear anyway, and then this stuff happens. (Wilson) ruined our lives, as of right now. … This is should be the best time of your life, and it’s for us the worst.
The four victims were waiting for their car to be brought back from valet when Wilson and the other man started taunting them. Way says she believes the reason they were approached is that both couples were holding hands.
The victims asked the attackers to leave them alone, but Wilson pulled out his phone to record them. He started to escalate the situation by calling Way “he/she” and describing her as “whatever that thing is.” He then hit Way in the face. The other victims were hit when Wilson just started swinging his fists when they attempted to stop him.
Way’s wife, Haueter, got the worst of it. She was hit multiple times in the face, splitting her lip and giving her a black eye. Her head hit the pavement, and blood went everywhere.
Wilson then ran away after the final blows to Haueter. Way pursued him for three miles, and he was eventually arrested. The second man got away and was never identified.
Lasting Impact on the Couple’s Everyday Life
Haueter was hurt so badly in the incident that she suffered a traumatic brain injury and a severe concussion. Memory issues still plague her to this day from the attack, and she had constant severe headaches for months that left her unable to function properly on a day-to-day basis.
In addition to the lawsuit against the casino, the married couple also wants a more severe penalty for Wilson, who only got two years’ probation. The women say this is not a fair sentence for a man who has wrecked their lives and turned them into unwilling homebodies scared to go out in public.
MGM Security Barely Did Anything
The lawsuit claims that MGM Grand Detroit security guards basically did nothing to help. They simply provided paper towels to sop up the blood from Haueter’s head following the blows on the pavement. MGM valet employees and security guards were there to witness the attack and did nothing but record it on their phones. As many as a dozen workers watched instead of acting. They did not even call the police to come to help with the situation.
The couple’s attorney had some harsh words for MGM Grand Detroit’s operation:
Security knew; they were watching what was happening. They had a duty to call the police and monitor the premises, a duty to take reasonable steps if they knew of violent criminal behavior on their premises. They did nothing. … This is not the first time. This is not the second time. They know their facilities are dangerous and they’re doing nothing to keep their patrons safe, not even calling the police.
The lawsuit also accuses MGM, the casino, of continuing to supply Wilson with alcohol past the point of obvious inebriation.
Video of Attack at MGM Grand Detroit
Video from Fox 2 Detroit shows the four victims discussing the incident, with clips from cell phone footage videos and images of the aftermath damage to Haueter. It also shows the 26-year-old perpetrator, Wilson.
MGM Grand Detroit refused to release any video to the news or offer any defense of their employees.
Image credit: Mike Russell, Wikimedia Commons (image) (license)
