A Maryland man has sued his local bar for discrimination after they banned him permanently because of his age and race, a new lawsuit alleges.
Dan’s Restaurant and Taphouse have sparked a full-blown culture war in the small town of Boonsboro, Maryland, after a bartender allegedly kicked the customer out for being an “old, white man.”
Neal Glessner, 52, used to spend at least $500 a week at the local diner, but he filed a lawsuit against them in federal and state court, alleging that he was discriminated against by staff on Feb. 18, 2022.
However, owner Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke claims there was “repeated disruptive behavior against members of our team” that led to the ceremonial suspension.
Mike Skinner, the manager working at Dan’s at the time, verbally banned Glessner and his friend from entering the premises and called the police, in a clip captured on bodycam footage.
He reportedly yelled at Glessner’s friend Joseph Michael—who happened to be the newly appointed deputy attorney judge—”You old white folks act like you own everything.” Get out of here!’
Neal Glessner, 52, filed a lawsuit against them in federal and state court, claiming he was discriminated against by bar staff
Mike Skinner (pictured), the manager working at Dan’s at the time, verbally banned Glessner and his friend from entering the premises and called police, in a clip captured on bodycam footage. While not captured in the clip, the lawsuit claims he said, “You old white men all act like you own everything. Just go away. None of you are welcome here’
The couple had complained about waiting 40 minutes for a takeaway order.
In the unearthed bodycam footage, Michael can be heard saying, “I’m glad to go… but I just need to know if I’m banned or not?”
The manager Mike Skinner responds: “Yes, you are suspended. You can’t come in here again.’
While not captured in the footage, Glessner claims the manager continued, “You old white men all act like you own everything. Just go away. None of you are welcome here.’
Neal Glessner, chairman of a technology company, said in a statement: “Anyone who thinks this is about BLM, Trump or any other political issue is ignoring the facts so they can promote an agenda that is not mine.”
The ordeal has sparked a proxy war in the sleepy town. On Saturday, a group of a dozen protesters – led by Shawn Porter – stood outside the restaurant, holding signs that read, “Old White Men’s Lives Matter” and “It Is Okay To Be White.”
Owner Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke says there were ‘repeated instances of disruptive behavior against members of our team’ that prompted the ban
And the group was holding a big red sign that read, “No soup for you!!” No old farts!!!’ along with a reference to the ‘Soup Nazi’ from comedy show Seinfeld.
The battle between the opposing factions has also been spewed online. Dozens of local residents in the small town have gotten involved and expressed their views, while both the plaintiff and defendants provide status updates on an almost daily basis.
Skinner, the manager, stared open-mouthed at the small number of protesters gathered against his workplace, while owner Aufdem-Brinke boasted that business has never been better.
She also claims that the impact of the ban has been a “coordinated personal attack on our company.”
Meanwhile, Porter, one of Glessner’s main supporters, has updated his followers in a series of dramatic monologues and inflammatory footage of the protest, posting them on YouTube.
The restaurant was closed this weekend to give staff a “much-needed rest,” and they wrote on their windows: “They tried to bury us, but they don’t know we are seeds.”
According to the lawsuit, since his banishment from the restaurant, the plaintiff “has become aware of about half a dozen other white males who have been inexplicably barred from Dan’s.”
Glessner said he has suffered — and will continue to suffer — “irreparable economic loss, humiliation, embarrassment, mental and emotional distress and relationship strain” after the ordeal.
Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke, the co-owner with her ex-husband Daniel, wrote on social media, “Dan and I opened our restaurant in 2012 based on shared values and a clear vision of what we wanted this space to be. . We wanted to provide Boonsboro with a place where everyone feels at home.
‘Mr. Glessner has filed a frivolous lawsuit and, through a nonstop stream of social media posts and appearances in fringe media outlets, has made a series of false, baseless and ridiculous allegations against our team.
Bodycam footage showed the moment Neal Glessner and his friend Joseph Michael were banned from the restaurant
Dan’s Restaurant and Taphouse have sparked a culture war in the small town of Boonsboro, Maryland, after a bartender reportedly kicked a customer out for being an “old, white guy”
The group held a large red sign that read, “No soup for you!! No old farts!!!’ along with a reference to the ‘Soup Nazi’ from comedy show Seinfeld
The ban and lawsuit sparked a proxy war in the small Maryland town. Protesters came out in their small troops over the weekend, carrying posters against the restaurant
The owners of the restaurant are Dan (pictured) and Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke
‘The team at Dan’s Taphouse work hard to provide our guests with a welcoming experience and a workplace where our team members are treated with respect. Any behavior that violates these standards is unacceptable. Mr. Glessner was asked to leave our restaurant for repeated disruptive behavior against members of our team. Nothing anymore. Nothing less.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Glessner added, “There is a deep divide in our typically tight-knit community. Unfortunately, Dan and Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke are trying to portray me as an angry racist acting willfully to dismantle their company with what they call “a frivolous, baseless lawsuit.” This couldn’t be further from the truth.
“While I feel that Dan and Charlotte are discriminating against me because of my age and race and have enough evidence to prove it in a federal court, they have an undeniable history of assaulting and discriminating against many others in our community because of their age. race and political preferences.
While it’s easy for the owners to say they insist their team members and guests be treated with respect by employees, look no further than the restaurant’s management and staff’s social media posts to see the hateful speech and get-even attitude on their personal accounts. It is clear that their insistence on respect is little more than an empty promise.
“Shame on you Dan and Charlotte for condoning this kind of behavior and now defending it. Is it not the moral and ethical responsibility of the Aufem-Brinke, as owners of a well-known establishment in our town, to respect everyone equally, not just those they deem ‘worthy’?
“I don’t want to continue the negative back and forth that is tearing our beautiful community apart. More division in our community is not what we need.’
Commenting on the lawsuit, Aufdem-Brinke told DailyMail.com, “Neal Glessner’s lawsuit is beyond ridiculous and is based solely on his hostility to my personal views and our advocacy of social and economic justice.
His non-stop efforts to promote the lawsuit on far-right media outlets like One America News Network, and the social media harassment carried out by far-right agitators like Shaun Porter, are simply an attempt to bully a successful small business. businesswoman and community activist into submission.”
