Businesses can refuse service to conservatives, according to the Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City.
In a landmark case, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice David Cohen dismissed a lawsuit filed by a man who was kicked out of a New York City bar for wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat.
Greg Piatek, an accountant from Philadelphia, said he and his friends had visited the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center, and went to grab drinks afterwards at a bar called The Happiest Hour.
Though they were initially served drinks, the staff soon took issue with Piatek’s red hat—and kicked him and his friends out of the bar.
Piatek’s defense was that, because he and his friends were “paying spiritual tribute to the victims of 9/11,” demanding that serve Piatek because he was wearing a MAGA hat was against his “spiritual beliefs.”
Cohen threw out the lawsuit, ruling that refusing to serve someone for wearing a MAGA hat does not constitute religious discrimination—but the broader implications of businesses being able to refuse conservatives could have wide-ranging affects in the months to come.
