The owners of popular Music Row watering hole the Tin Roof have filed suit against Gideon & Wiseman attorney Brian Manookian, claiming he defamed their business when he updated his Facebook status in November 2008 to say:

"Brian enjoyed reading the Tin Roof's police response history. Nov I know where to go next time I want to get raped/assaulted/or watch someone commit suicide."

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Davidson County Circuit Court and available at this link, accuses Manookian of committing libel, slander and intentional interference with business relationships. The bad blood between Manookian and the Tin Roof arises from a case Manookian brought last year against the establishment's owners on behalf of a Dallas man, Scott M. Kerr. He claims bar manager Wesley Stephens beat him unconscious one night in March 2008.

The owners – Tin Roof Acquisition Co. LLC, T.R. Franklin Inc. and T.R. III LLC, all headed by bar founder Jason Sheer – say Manookian "has continued to post and publish false and defamatory information" about their businesses and has verbally defamed them as well.

The plaintiffs want the court to enjoin Manookian from defaming them further and to impose an unspecified amount in damages. Kevin Sharp and Sean Martin of Drescher & Sharp filed the lawsuit on behalf of Tin Roof's owners.

Manookian responded today by issuing a statement together with what he said is evidence of the factual basis for his posting.

"My observations were nothing more than a comment on the public record maintained by the Metropolitan Police Department of open investigations at the Tin Roof," the attorney said. "My comments are confirmed by the public record.

"I view this complaint as nothing but an effort to suppress my work on behalf of a client who sustained a life-altering beating at the Tin Roof," Manookian added.

He supplied a printout of alleged incidents investigated by Metro Police, all of which he said took place at 1516 Demonbreun St., the address of Tin Roof. The printout, viewable at this link, lists a case of forcible rape reported in April 2008, simple or aggravated assaults reported on 17 different dates since 2003, and a suicide at the premises in June 2008. It also cites an alleged kidnapping in August 2007 and numerous reports of theft and vandalism.

Earlier this month, Manookian filed an amended complaint (available here) in the Kerr litigation. It claims that Stephens, a burly former Nashville Kats Arena Football League player, shoved Kerr's wife as his party was leaving the bar at closing time on the night in question.

After Kerr snapped a photo that he intended to show the bar's proprietors while complaining about the brusque treatment, Stephens allegedly "ripped the camera out of Mr. Kerr's hands and tackled him to the ground." The manager then "proceeded to strike Mr. Kerr's face and head," the lawsuit claims, and "the force of the strikes caused his head to repeatedly slam into, and bounce off of, the concrete pavement. Mr. Kerr lost consciousness shortly thereafter."

The online records of Davidson County's Criminal Court Clerk show no indication that any criminal charges were brought against Stephens over the incident.