Philadelphia police investigate anti-Semitic incidents at Bastor Bar

Philadelphia police are investigating that a Temple University student was suspended after an anti-Semitic incident at the city’s Barstool Sports Bar on Saturday night.

Video posted to social media shows a woman appears to be a server on Barstool Sansom Street, which contains a sign on a bottled table. The logo reveals a blasphemous anti-Semitic message that one person saw in the video repeated several times.

Barstool Sansom Street did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday night.

Police are collecting information and will provide updates “as soon as possible”, Philadelphia Police Department spokesman Tanya Little officials said in a statement Sunday.

Temple University said in a statement Sunday that the school’s students were “involved in an anti-Semitic incident on off-campus venues.”

The school said it determined that a student was believed to have been involved and placed the student at a temporary suspension. It does not name the students.

The Department of Student Affairs is investigating and the school says anyone else involved “will face strict discipline”, including possible evictions.

"From the strongest point of view, I need to be clear: anti-Semitism is abominable," said Temple University president John Fry in a statement. "It has no status in the temple, and hatred and discrimination against anyone or person is intolerable in this university."

Barstool founder and CEO Dave Portnoy was in Chicago on November 8, 2023.Michael Hickey / Getty Images

Barstool founder Dave Portnoy commented on the incident in a picky video posted on social media on Sunday, calling him an "emergency press conference."

Jewish Portnoy said he was so angry that the incident took two hours. He said he was making "destroying these people" life missions, adding that he was "coming for your throat." He softened his tone in a later article, saying the event could be used as a "teaching moment."

Portnoy later said that two bottle service workers who served the table were fired.

Portnoy said in the first video that he had spoken with one of two servers, a man tagged in a video shared on social media, and Portnoy said “does it.” He said in a later article that he gave the culprit "1 hour to make it right".

Portnoy said that at the time of the incident, security footage from the bar showed that the people tagged in the video posted on social media were not in the agency.

"I mean I'm going to get the name. I want to take some responsibility. I'm trying to be consistent. But I'm on it."

Barstool Sansom Street.Google Maps

Portnoy ended his Sunday social media post with a second “emergency press conference” video.

Portnoy said his initial reaction to “burning these people on the ground” was not the best action after reflection.

"Let's try to turn an ugly event into a possible learning experience," he said.

Portnoy said he spoke with two people who allegedly ordered anti-Semitic signs and their family. He said they had agreed to his proposal to send them to the World War II concentration camp Auschwitz, and now provide tourism and educational materials.

He said he hoped they learned something and that in the future they would think twice before speaking.

“For me, it’s a fair result of this event,” Portnoy said. “We’re going to send them to Auschwitz and learn something about history, hoping you know, get an education and use it as a teaching moment, not just for them, maybe for everyone.”

Yasmeen Persaud and Beautiful building contribute.