'Speak English' sign will stay posted, tavern owner says [Mason, Ohio]

vindy.com ^ | Sunday, October 9, 2005

[John Filson]

'Speak English' sign will stay posted, tavern owner says

Sunday, October 9, 2005

MASON, Ohio (AP) — A tavern owner vows he won't take down a window sign that declares, "For Service, Speak English."

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission ruled Thursday that the sign at the Pleasure Inn violates state discrimination laws and creates an affront to Hispanics.

But tavern owner Tom Ullum said the sign is meant to be tongue in cheek.

"We get Mexicans in here all the time, and I don't discriminate," said Ullum, who has owned the tavern for 21 years.

Ohio law says it is unlawful for any proprietor of a place of public accommodation to deny the full enjoyment of the accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or ancestry.

The commission said the English-only rule serves no purpose other than to discriminate against non-English speaking individuals.

Ullum could be ordered to pay for advertisements about nondiscrimination, and his staff could be ordered to undergo diversity training or cultural sensitivity training.

Ullum is reviewing the issue with his attorney and has nine days to file a motion with the commission asking it to reconsider. If he does, the commission will hold a hearing on Oct. 27 at Cincinnati City Hall.

Mason is about 20 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[John Filson]

See also: Judge to get tavern's 'speak English' case Civil rights panel rules 5-0 owner is discriminating, a December 16th article describing the situation in better detail.

[HamiltonJay]

If they can't speak it, they can't read it, so how would they know what the sign says? Let alone be somehow discriminated by it?

Not to mention, nothing prevents them from being served....

Dumb leftist wackos.

[The Electrician]

Ohio law says it is unlawful for any proprietor of a place of public accommodation to deny the full enjoyment of the accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or ancestry.

I don't see the word "language" in that list. Maybe it is hiding in the "penumbra" of that law...

[mtbopfuyn]

Excuse me, but just where does that state anything about not discriminating against language?

[lilylangtree]

Need to abolish the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.

[trebb]

Are they going to force him to either learn Spanish or get an interpreter? If he can't understand what they want, he can't give it to them.

[BlueStateDepression]

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission ruled Thursday that the sign at the Pleasure Inn violates state discrimination laws and creates an affront to Hispanics.

Now how did they get from English TO Spanish/Hispanics?

Seems to me that they admitted thru their own ruling that a problem exists with non english speaking hispanics.

[John Filson]

They're named and pictured here: http://crc.ohio.gov/commission_members.htm

[Stark_GOP]

Could it be because he doesn't speak Spanish?

[The G Man]

I live in this town. They've got two signs now, that one and one that says:

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, ACLU!"

LOL!

[darbymcgill]

Sounds more like discrimination against mutes than Spanish speakers.... Spaninsh speakers could at least talk English if they wanted to.

[Red Badger]

ONLY Hispanics (I hate that word)? What about Vanuatuans?.........

[Trampled by Lambs]

t is unlawful for any proprietor of a place of public accommodation to deny the full enjoyment of the accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or ancestry.

Funny, I don't see the word "language" there...

[add925]

"For BETTER Service, Speak English"

[F.J. Mitchell]

Any American who has ever lived abroad, knows that beer sounds pretty much like beer, whatever language you order it in.

Seems reasonable to cut them off when they are too drunk to order beer in a language the BT can understand.

[ladyjane]

Since you are from there, can you tell us why there are no white people on this 'Civil Rights Commission'?

[geezerwheezer]

Don't you know why there aren't any Caucasians on that board? Because it would violate the diversity rules of the wackos who created it in the first place!!!

[DumpsterDiver]

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission ruled Thursday that the sign ("For Service, Speak English.") at the Pleasure Inn violates state discrimination laws and creates an affront to Hispanics.

Sacre bleu!

[John Filson]

I don't see any sort of right not to be offended in the Constitution, either.