A Temple University student has been suspended after an antisemitic sign at a sports bar in Philadelphia went viral online. The owner of the company behind the bar also spoke out and said he is demanding answers.
The antisemitic sign was held up by a waitress at Barstool Sansom Street on Saturday, May 3 and was shared on X in a video that was taken from an Instagram user’s story the next day, Sunday, May 4.
Two hours later, the owner of Barstool, Dave Portnoy, held what he called an “Emergency Press Conference” in reaction to the sign.
In his video shared to social media, he said that the waitresses who were taking care of the table that ordered the sign were fired.
“Tell me, how do I make this f***ing right?,” Portnoy – who is Jewish – said in the video. “What I’m saying is I’m getting the names. I’m trying to be a little responsible. I’m trying to keep it together, but I’m on it.”
Portnoy also said “two kids go to Temple” while talking about how he is going to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
In a statement on Sunday, Temple University President John Fry wrote that the Division of Student Affairs is investigating the incident. So far, investigators connected one student to it and that student has been placed on interim suspension.
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“In the strongest terms possible, let me be clear: antisemitism is abhorrent. It has no place at Temple and acts of hatred and discrimination against any person or persons are not tolerated at this university,” Fry wrote.
In a second video posted by Portnoy to social media, he said he has talked to the people who ordered the antisemitic sign and is going to pay for them to go to the concentration camps at Auschwitz, Germany, to make this a “teaching moment” so they can learn about the Holocaust.
Barstool Sansom Street took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon to share a statement on the incident.
“We deeply apologize for the role we played in allowing hate speech to transpire,” the post said in part.
Throughout the day on Sunday, NBC10 crews saw people stopping by to go into the bar but each got confused why the establishment was closed until they found out what happened.
Nyia Clark said that she was at the bar on Saturday night and saw the sign.
“No one noticed it at first. Then it was like *needle scratch noise* when the DJ is playing their music. Everything was so tense at the time,” Clark said.
After the sign was brought out, Clark said she and friend decided to leave.
“How did the workers sit there? They have to write the sign,” Sarah said in reaction to the incident.
NBC10 has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department and Barstool Sansom Street and is waiting to hear back.
If you have any information on this incident, Temple’s president asked that you contact the Dean of Students by emailing [email protected] right away.
