Joey Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks, greets reporters and fans outside the eatery around noon, shortly before heading to the hearing.
Posted on 12/15/2007 6:28:56 AM PST by kellynla
A hearing was expected to continue into the evening on whether Geno's Steaks owner Joey Vento discriminated against non-English speaking patrons by posting an "Speak English" sign at his South Philadelphia shop. The Rev. James Allen, the chairperson of Commision on Human Relations, was the first witness to testify late this afternoon, followed by University of Pennsylvania professor Camille Charles.
Charles, a professor of sociology, said the number of foreign-born residents living in the South Philadelphia neighborhood near Geno's grew more than 200 percent between 1980 and 2000.
When shown historical signs from the Jim Crow era in the South that read "Whites Only," Charles said Vento's "Speak English" sign had the same impact on patrons.
More witnesses were expected to be called before the commision today and Rev. Allen, the chairman, vowed the hearing will not end until everyone has been heard.
Today's hearing is the result complaints in June 2006 about a sign Vento put in his steak-shop window saying, "This is America, when ordering, please 'speak English.' "
The notice soon generated national media attention, prompting a recent visit by Rudy Giuliani.
Before the testimony began today Vento's attorneys argued about the fairness of the hearing itself.
The attorneys for Vento charged that the proceedings were unfair for two reasons and asked that the case be thrown out. First, the attorneys said, the allegations were brought by the Rev. James S. Allen Sr., chairperson of Commission on Human Relations, the city agency adjudicating the case.
Second, the defense first learned of several commission witnesses, set to testify today, less than an hour before the hearing began at about 1:30 p.m. at the Quaker meeting house near Third and Arch Streets.
Defense attorneys, however, were required to submit their pretrial briefs and witness lists well in advance.
After Vento's attorneys asked for the case to be dismissed "without prejudice," the panel of commissioners recessed to consider their next step and then returned to continue the hearing.
More than 100 people attended, watching the proceedings in the unadorned 1804 structure, with its wooden floors and wooden pews.
Statements by either side were met with muttering or grumbling by the spectators.
Outside, one man held a "Hail Geno" sign bearing an American flag. A group wore black T-shirts with a message that Pennsylvania loves immigrants, the word loves symbolized by a heart.
Making most of the arguments for Vento's team was Shannon Goessling of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, based in Atlanta.
Leading the prosecution was commission counsel Paul M. Hummer, a partner in the law firm Saul Ewing.
The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations decided to charge that Vento discriminated against non-English speakers.
The commission alleges that Vento's sign violates the section of the city's Fair Practices Ordinance that prohibits the owner of a public accommodation from putting up a sign aimed at "any specific group" to make its members feel discriminated against or unwelcome.
Below the Geno's sign was another that stated, "Management reserves the right to refuse service."
Backers flock to Geno’s before ‘speak English’ hearing
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20071214_Genos_owner_has_speak_Engish_hearing_today.html
VIDEO
“Speak English” at Geno’s
Link:
http://www.philly.com/philly/multimedia/12511101.html
I hope some Hispanic kid sues Penn and this prof for making him write his papers in English.
Nope, he's not discriminating, he expects everyone to order in English.
What do some people expect, that he has a translator for every dialect in the world just in case someone from somewhere should show up?
Really, if you don't want to speak English, go live where they speak the language you like. Nobody's stopping anyone from leaving.
One is an immutable characteristic. The other is a changeable behavior. No comparison.
Any black people who lived through the Jim Crow era would be perfectly within their rights to tar, feather and ride Charles out of town on a rail for such a stupid comparison diminishing what they endured.
I believe this is the same ordnance being used by Philadelphia to drive the National Boy Scout Headquarters from the city.
Great point!
The no refunds sign says it all I think.
The guy is probably sick and tired of making the wrong subs for these non-English speakers and then having to throw them out and having these customers demanding their money back.
Yep. We can all rest easier knowing that the city is protecting us from those treacherous Boy Scouts and evil signage.
How very Stalinist of them...
How do you say Philly cheesesteak in Spanish?
Funny that the esteemed Philly Commission on Human Relations isn’t tackling issues such as the tragically and insanely high murder rate in Philadelphia, most of which is black-on-black crime. I’d say the way black males are being killed on almost a daily basis there is a “human relations” issue. And the numbers of innocent bystanders and school children being gunned down in drug shootings...in my book that’s also a “human” issue. But I guess trying to strip Joey Vento’s freedom of speech is more important.
This mock and sham-of-a-sham trial is part of the reason I don’t see myself ever returning to Philly.
I guessing that spanish speaking customers go there and order in English. The only one filing the complaint is the idiot commission. They have to justify their position.
yo quiero taco bell! : P
What a friggin' maroon, do we now have a right to not feel uncomfortable? If we do, I have a list the size of a Road Atlas of crap that makes me uncomfortable and that is just for TV advertisements.
what is a chalupa anyway?
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