The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday that it has launched a civil rights investigation into a small New York City coffee shop chain after the business declared online that it would have refused service to a pro-Israel congressman if it had recognized him during his visit over the weekend.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the probe on X, stating, “The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation and will bring an enforcement action if warranted.”
Dhillon added, “Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin.”
According to The New York Times, Democratic Representative Dan Goldman stopped into Poetica Coffee in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Sunday, visiting outside his own district alongside his 7-year-old daughter. Goldman said the stop was made so his daughter could use the restroom, and that he purchased a coffee as a gesture of appreciation to the staff for accommodating her.
The coffee shop responded to Goldman’s visit with an Instagram post directed at him. “We see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee,” the post read. “We don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.”
The shop also stated it had issued Goldman a refund and closed its message with, “Don’t ever come to Poetica.”
By Monday, the Instagram post was no longer visible, and the account itself appeared to have been deactivated.
Goldman is currently endorsed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and is heading into a June 23 primary election against Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller who is backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Both Goldman and Lander are Jewish.
The incident comes amid ongoing debate over the conflict in Gaza. Israel’s military campaign there, which has stretched beyond two years, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, widespread hunger, and the displacement of Gaza’s entire population. Multiple human rights experts, scholars, and a United Nations inquiry have described the situation as a genocide. Israel maintains its actions are acts of self-defense, citing a Hamas-led attack in October 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 individuals being taken hostage.
