Federal civil rights investigators are now looking into a Brooklyn coffee shop after it went public with claims that it turned away a pro-Israel congressman, a move that could run afoul of laws protecting people from discrimination at public businesses.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division confirmed the probe after Poetica, a cafe located in the Williamsburg neighborhood, posted — and then removed — a message on social media directed at Rep. Dan Goldman following his visit to the shop during a Democratic primary campaign stop.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the inquiry Monday on X, writing: “The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation and will bring an enforcement action if warranted.”
Dhillon went on to note that “Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin.”
In the now-deleted social media post, the cafe addressed Goldman directly, writing: “Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?”
The shop also stated it had returned Goldman’s payment without him requesting it, adding: “We don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways,” a reference to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Goldman later appeared on CNN with anchor Laura Coates, where he described his actual experience inside the cafe as friendly and uneventful. He explained that he stopped in because his seven-year-old daughter needed to use the restroom. After a barista accommodated her, Goldman said he purchased a coffee and left a generous tip.
“I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop,” Goldman said.
He continued: “She was wearing a hijab, I didn’t know her, but she couldn’t have been nicer and allowed my daughter to go use the bathroom, and I honestly was so grateful for her kindness that I felt like I should buy a coffee, and so I did, and I gave her a large tip.”
Goldman said the incident pointed to a deeper problem in today’s political climate, stating: “It’s a reflection, I think, of a sad state of affairs that without knowing me, we could have had such a nice interaction.”
The incident came to light on the eve of Goldman’s Democratic primary contest against former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who had made Goldman’s previous support from AIPAC a central theme of his campaign.
