Protesters descend on Maryland bar after patron claims he was banned for being an ‘old, White man’

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Protesters argue outside of Maryland bar where patron says he was banned for being old and white

Video footage from Shaun Porter shows protesters arguing outside of Dan's Restaurant and Taphouse.

A Maryland man has sued a local bar for discrimination and claimed that he was permanently banned from the establishment for being an "old, White man."

52-year-old Neal Glessner has filed a lawsuit against Dan's Restaurant and Taphouse in Boonsboro, Maryland, alleging that he was removed from the premises and told not to return on February 18, 2022, due to his age and race.

The story, highlighted by The Daily Mail, has ignited a culture war in the small sleepy town.

In a video posted to YouTube by Shaun Porter, nearly a dozen protesters set up shop outside the bar on Saturday. One sign read "Old White Men's Lives Matter," while another proclaimed, "It's Okay To Be White." Other signs referred to the infamous "Soup Nazi" sketch in the comedy show Seinfeld.

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Neal Glessner filed a lawsuit against Dan's Restaurant and Taphouse in federal and state court claiming discrimination.  (Facebook/Neal Glessner)

At one point, several protesters began arguing with a man defending the establishment, claiming that the bar engaged in racism. A police officer eventually walked to the middle of the group and reminded them to keep the conversation civil and nonviolent.

The conflict has also dripped into social media, with both the bar and Glessner providing updates to town locals nearly daily.

On Saturday and Sunday, the restaurant was closed. A letter on the door said the staff had taken a "much-needed rest." The words "They tried to bury us, but they don't know we are seeds" had been painted on the window.

Taphouse owner Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke claimed "repeated occurrences of disruptive behavior against members of our team" led to Glessner's ban and denied that it had anything to do with his age or skin color.

She also said the social media blitz encouraged by Glessner following the ban had been a "coordinated personal attack" against the business.

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Manager Mike Skinner barred Glessner and his friend from the restaurant and called the police on February 18, 2022.  (Facebook/MIke Skinner )

According to Glessner, he ordered two burgers and a salad for takeout the night of the incident. After approximately 45 minutes, he recalled commenting to his friend Judge Joseph Michael about the long wait. Glessner claimed the server overheard the comment, became visibly angry, and insisted he be patient.

A few minutes later, Glessner received his order and left. However, shortly thereafter, he said Michael was approached by manager Mike Skinner, who said he and Glessner were banned.

Glessner said the manager yelled at Michael and told him, "You old, White people act like you own everything. Get the f--- out of here!" Both Michael and Glessner are White men over 50.

After police were called, Michael described the incident to the police, which was recorded on a bodycam. In one part of the bodycam, Michael is heard asking if he is banned or not.

'Yes, you are banned," Skinner responds. "You are not allowed to come back in here."

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Protesters argue outside of Dan’s Restaurant and Taphouse in Boonsboro, Maryland on February 25, 2023.  (Shaun Porter)

The lawsuit alleges CharDan, LLC and its employees violated Glessner's rights under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also states that through Facebook, Glessner reached out to CharDan LLC co-owner Daniel N. Aufdem-Brinke to discuss the situation. While Daniel told Glessner he and his ex-wife Charlotte would investigate the issue, Glessner claims he never received a follow-up.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Glessner said, "There is a deep chasm in our typically tight-knit community. Regretfully, Dan and Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke are trying to paint me as an angry racist who is willfully acting to dismantle their business with what they term 'a frivolous, baseless lawsuit.' This couldn't be further from the truth."

"While I do feel Dan and Charlotte discriminated against me because of my age and race and have sufficient evidence to prove this in a federal court of law, they have an undeniable history of mistreating and discriminating against many others in our community due to age, race, and political affiliations."

Meanwhile, Charlotte called the lawsuit "preposterous" and based solely on his "animosity toward my personal views and our advocacy for social and economic justice."

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