[FinallyBackInNH]

Commission spokeswoman Christia Alou White said the tavern could be ordered to remove the sign, to pay for advertisements about nondiscrimination, and its staff could be ordered to undergo diversity training or cultural sensitivity training.

What conceivable legal authority could the "Commission" have to "order" the tavern to advertise anything or to submit its staff for indoctrination? I suspect what they meant to say that the "Commission" could extort such behavior as part of a consent decree. But otherwise couldn't the tavern owner just tell the "Commission" to go screw?

Now if indeed the sign is upheld to be illegal in a civil or criminal court (I suspect the former), then that's a whole different story. But either I'm missing something or the "Commission" has an awful big opinion of its collective self.

Obligatory disclaimer: I'm obviously not a lawyer, but I DID stay at a Holiday Inn last night...

[R. Scott]

But otherwise couldn't the tavern owner just tell the "Commission" to go screw?

Only if he didn’t want to keep his license.