DOJ probes Brooklyn coffee shop over post targeting Rep. Dan Goldman
Why it matters: Federal civil rights law bars restaurants and shops from denying service based on religion or national origin.
The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into Poetica Coffee in Brooklyn after the shop posted that it would have turned away Rep. Dan Goldman if staff had recognized him during a visit with his 7-year-old daughter. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote that public accommodations such as coffee shops cannot discriminate based on race, religion or national origin and that enforcement action could follow if warranted. Goldman, a New York Democrat who is Jewish and supports Israel, said he stopped in so his daughter could use the restroom and bought a coffee to thank the barista. Poetica later refunded the purchase and wrote online, “Don’t ever come to Poetica,” before the post was removed.