Miguel Gonzalez, a student at UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, thought it would be a good idea to attend a Halloween party last October as the character Waldo. Little did he know that his decision would result in him being wrongly accused of excessive drunkenness, getting punched in the face, suffering a broken jaw and filing a lawsuit.

While attending the Halloween festivities, Gonzalez was accused by the event’s bouncer of being too drunk. The student insisted he was not intoxicated, and that the security guard mistook him for one of the other eight people dressed as Waldo.

Nevertheless, Gonzalez was told to leave the party, which he did.

He claims the bouncer then approached him outside the event and punched him without provocation. The blow knocked Gonzalez out and resulted in a fractured jaw, he says.

The student is now suing the bouncer, the security company that employed him, 111 Minna Gallery LLC, Security Intelligence Specialist, and the owner of the property where the party took place.

Gonzalez, who was born in Venezuela and is a former president of the business school’s Latin American and Hispanic Business Association, seeks damages and punitive damages for battery, with malice.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Where's Waldo? Beat Him Up (Courthouse News Service)