In the midst of a wild week, there are still some small victories to be had. Last year, a New York City bar threw out customer Greg Piatek, who was wearing a hat emblazoned with Donald Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again," after he complained about the staff's service. The man filed a lawsuit claiming he was being discriminated against for his political views. A Manhattan judge has now thrown out the case, stating the law doesn't protect people from political discrimination and that the bar was within their legal rights to ask him to leave, The Hill reports.
The judge made it a point to note that religious beliefs, not political, were protected under discrimination laws. Piatek claims he went into the bar in January 2017 with his polarizing red cap and was asked to leave shortly afterwards. He claimed the incident "offended his sense of being an American," and his lawyer Paul Liggieri also said his client was wearing the hat in tribute to the victims of 9/11. "The 'Make America Great Again' hat was part of his spiritual belief," he said. "Rather than remove his hat, instead he held true to his spiritual belief and was forced from the bar." The lawyer also told the judge that bar staff should have understood Piatek's religious beliefs based on the hat. Whatever that means.
"The claim that plaintiff was not served and eventually escorted out of the bar because of his perceived support for President Trump is not outrageous conduct," the judge finally ruled, calling Piatek's removal a "petty slight."
