The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into a woke Park Slope coffee shop that denied service to a pro-Israel politician, and warned an enforcement action could be coming.
“Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote in an X post calling out the anti-Israel coffee shop Monday.
“These actions are not only reprehensible, they’re potentially illegal. The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation, and will bring an enforcement action if warranted.”
Poetica Coffee raked NY Rep. Dan Goldman over the coals in an unhinged social media rant on Sunday for the crime of purchasing a cup of coffee at their location.
“Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?” the post stated, an apparent reference to Goldman’s support for Israel.
“See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.”
The vile social media posting flies in the face of the shop’s purported ethos spelled out in its mission statement that it treats all people with “unconditional dignity” on its website.
“The guest is sacred because the act of welcoming is how a community keeps itself intact,” the welcoming statement reads.
The shop also claims on its site that “whoever walks through the door is treated with unconditional dignity.”
“Not as a customer. Not as a transaction. As someone who arrived and deserves to be welcomed,” the site claims.