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Seeking Information on Barrett Dahl Attack by White House Official: Randolph Rice Injury Attorneys


Attention: the Randolph Rice Injury Attorneys are seeking help from the public.  If you were at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel on Friday, October 30, 2015 and witnessed a fight or disturbance, please contact our office at 410.844.5333 or 1.800.470.RICE. We are seeking more information from anyone who witnessed the attack on Mr. Barrett Dahl.

Barrett Dahl at hospital after attack by White House Official William Mendoza
Barrett Dahl lying in a hospital bed after being attacked.

Barrett Dahl

Barrett Dahl, a college student from Oklahoma was attacked in October 2015, has retained the Rice, Murtha & Psoras to investigate and pursue a claim arising from an incident involving Executive Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, William Mendoza.

Mr. Dahl had been a student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado for four years. At the time of the attack he was one class away from receiving his degree.

Our firm has learned through interviews and our client that on October 30, 2015, while attending a science conference for Native Americans in Washington D.C., Mr. Dahl was brutally attacked and severely beaten by Mr. William Mendoza at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel, right outside of Washington D.C. it appears the reason for the attack was because Mr. Dahl was wearing a Washington Redskins jersey.

Did you see anything in or outside of the ballroom?

Mr. Dahl was seated in a ballroom at a Friday night powwow when he was approached by a large man in a gray button down shirt. Mr. Dahl had never seen this man before, but Dahl says Mendoza angrily approached and began verbally abusing him. Dahl describes the man in the gray shirt, who was later identified as William Mendoza, began to berate him by repeatedly calling him, “weetard” and “stupid weetard.”

Mendoza continued shouting, uneducated weetard, despite Mr. Dahl  repeatedly asking Mendoza to leave him alone.  Mendoza is then reported to have spit in Mr. Dahl’s face, at which point Mr. Dahl immediately left the ballroom to find a police officer or security officer to report the incident.

Seeking Witnesses for October 30, 2015 Beating at Gaylord National

At this point, Mendoza followed Mr. Dahl outside of the ballroom and physically attacked him at the escalator. Statements from Mr. Dahl indicate that Mendoza hit Mr. Dahl and continued to strike him the the face. Mr. Dahl attempted to block the punches and fend off Mendoza, but was unsuccessful.

Prince George’s County Police arrived and interviewed both parties. Neither men were charged criminally. Mr. Dahl was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a protruding wrist bone.

Dahl Continues to Suffer

Doctors have informed Mr. Dahl that he will need several corrective surgeries and will ultimately lose 100% function of his wrist and hand. Since the attack, Mr. Dahl has already undergone numerous surgeries and incurred thousands of dollars in medical bills and physical therapy costs, all in an effort to address his searing pain.

Your Help is Needed

The Randolph Rice injury attorneys have been retained to investigate and pursue any possible claims against all responsible parties. Any information about the attack or if you were a witnesses, saw or heard anything, please contact our office today.

Contact Us If You Saw Something

Please contact the office please contact the office at 410.844.5333 or 1.800.470.RICE if you witnessed any of the above described events on October 30, 2015 at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel.

Map of Gaylord National Harbor Hotel
Map of Gaylord National Harbor Hotel