A Seattle bar asked a group of Republicans not to celebrate the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at its venue, leading the group to threaten a lawsuit against the establishment.
The back-and-forth started when the University of Washington College Republicans, excited about the 50-48 confirmation vote for Kavanaugh on Oct. 6, decided to celebrate with a “Beers 4 Brett” gathering, organized on Facebook.
The organizers chose to celebrate at Shultzy’s Bar and Grill, but when the event was planned, some progressive activists called the bar and complained about the event, according to the conservative radio station KTTH.
In response, Shultzy’s Bar and Grill posted on Facebook: “Shultzy’s is a sports-themed bar & grill that welcomes everyone. We do not promote or endorse any one religious or political viewpoint. As such, due to the political nature of your planned event, we request that you find another venue to celebrate.”
Freedom X is threatening to sue a Seattle bar that doesn’t want to host a College Republicans “Beers 4 Brett” event tonighthttps://t.co/ppfpGo8a1W pic.twitter.com/Kxi3cZYg2F
— Heidi Groover (@heidigroover) October 7, 2018
A Seattle bar tried to deny service to the UW College Republicans (@UW_CR) trying to celebrate the Kavanaugh confirmation. Only, in Seattle, you can't discriminate on the basis of political ideology. Shocking, I know.
Read about it here: https://t.co/zeKYbNRgZx
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 8, 2018
Lawsuit Threatened
Chevy Swanson, president of the college Republican group, then reached out to Freedom X, the legal group that successfully sued the University of Washington on behalf of the College Republicans.
“[They] advised us to call and explain that they can’t deny service over political leanings,” Swanson said. “We did and they hung up on us…”
Bob Becker with Freedom X then took to the bar’s Facebook page to warn them that he would sue if the group was denied service, citing Seattle’s law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of political ideology.
Swanson and around 12 others then went to the bar, and told a manager why they were there. Swanson said they were seated and treated normally.
Lawsuit threatened over UW College Republicans' Kavanaugh celebration at local bar https://t.co/n42prUnigK
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) October 7, 2018
Wasn’t Illegal
Shultzy’s Bar and Grill hasn’t commented on the situation, other than the Facebook post. “We don’t do political events,” a manager at Shultzy’s told the Seattle Times on Saturday afternoon. Owner Don Schulze declined to comment.
Jeffery Needle, a constitutional law expert, told KIRO 7 that the bar did nothing wrong with their request, but agreed Freedom X could have had a legal claim if the group went to the bar, and was refused service.
“They’re free to request all they like. If the group says too bad, ‘You’re required to admit us,’ and the bar says, ‘Oh no, you cannot come in,’ then at least potentially this group could have a claim,” Needle said.
He added that if the bar refused all political groups, it would be legal.
