Ulysses Everett McGill is still wondering if his banishment from Woolworth’s was local or regional in nature.
To my knowledge, it’s not illegal unless the group affiliation is with a protected class. It’s one thing to ban black folks, or the handicapped, or what-have-you. But banning another arbitrary group of your choosing? I don’t think there’s any law against that.
Excalibre is correct. Of course, the precise borderline between what is a protected class and what is not can vary, depending on the sitauation and applicable state (or even municipal) law. I’m not aware of any sitaution where member of Congress would be considered a protected class, though.
So I could ban (known) members of the NAACP from my bar if I was so inclined?
You are my hero.
In theory? Sure. Good luck convincing a judge that it’s not a pretext for banning blacks, though.
On the whole I think banning congressman from a top flight DC restaurant might make for better entertainment.
Agree entirely. That’s a reality show that even I would watch.
Very few African-Americans are actually members of the NAACP though (and other races can join) so you might get away with it.
As a 17 year old, my friends and I earned a lifetime ban from a convenience store in 1984 (All over a little misunderstanding about the legal drinking age, involving multiple cop cars, planted evidence, jailarity for two members of my party).
While visiting my hometown with my teenage daughter this summer, she dared me to go in and buy something. I planned the job with a mock up of the convenience store that I built in my garage to prepare for any possible convenience store staff/police/ATF response. After practicing for a few days to get my timing down, I felt that I was ready.
With nerves of steel, I walked in and bought her a soda and a pack of gum with two small unmarked bills. Lucky for me, the clerk was not born in 1984 and the operation was successful!