Jul 5, 2012
Print This Post
A family-owned restaurant in Pennsylvania is under a state discrimination investigation for offering a ten percent discount for diners who present a church bulletin on Sundays.
FOLLOW TODD ON FACEBOOK FOR CULTURE WAR NEWS – CLICK HERE.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission confirmed there is an investigation against Prudhomme’s Lost Cajun Kitchen in the town of Columbia. The complaint was filed by John Wolff, a retired electrical engineer.
“I did this not out of spite, but out of a feeling against the prevailing self-righteousness that stems from religion, particular in Lancaster County,” Wolff told the York Daily Record. “I don’t consider it an earth-shaking affair, but in this area in particular, we seem to have so many self-righteous religious people, so it just annoys me.”
According to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, a restaurant classified as a public accomodation. As such, restaurants are not allowed to discriminate based on religion — among other things.
GET YOUR COPY OF TODD’S NEW BOOK! CLICK HERE!!
Sharon Prudhomme, who owns the restaurant along with her husband, said she’s not discriminating against anybody – and plans on fighting the charges.
“What freaks me out is the state of Pennsylvania is basically agreeing with this guy,” Prudhomme told Fox News Radio. “We’re just a mom and pop. We’re not some big chain like the Olive Garden.”
Prudhomme said the trouble started in April of 2011 when she received the first of several letters from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The FFRF is a Wisconsin-based organization of “more than 17,000 freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and skeptics,” according to its website.
The FFRF demanded that she stop giving discounts to patrons who brought in a Sunday church bulletin.
“I just filed it and blew off the other letters,” Prudhomme said. “I said I have no intention of taking it off the website.”
Last Friday the restaurant was served with a 16-page complaint from the state of Pennsylvania – accusing her of discrimination.
“I’m an American,” Prudhomme said. “This is America. This is my business and we’re not breaking any laws.”
She said a representative from the state suggested that she should compromise and sign an agreement that she would offer discounts to any civic organization in the town.
“I said, ‘Wait a minute – you’re asking my husband and I to give anybody coming through my door a discount?’” she recounted. “They said yes.”
“I said, ‘Are you crazy?’”
“We have taxes to pay,” she said. “We have utility bills, payroll, mortgages and they’re expecting me to give everyone a discount?”
Prudhomme said that’s just not going to happen.
“This is our business,” she said. “We’re the ones paying the taxes. We need the people coming in. Our life is in this – and then to have someone come along and tell me what I can do and what I can’t do?”
She wondered if their other discounts might be considered discriminatory — like the one on Tuesday night – where kids under 12 get to eat free. Or what about the senior discount?
“Could someone under 65 complain?” she asked.
Wolff told Lancaster Online that he discovered the church discount on the privately owned restaurant’s website.
“That rubbed me a bit the wrong way,” he told the online publication. “It’s not a big deal in itself and I have no animosity towards Prudhomme’s, but I do bear a grudge against a religious right that seems to intrude on our civil rights.”
If the commission determines there’s enough evidence to support the complaint, it could be referred to a public hearing. Should the restaurant owners be found in violation, it’s unclear what penalty they might face.
FOX News Talk
Outrageous! Stand firm Prudhommes'! We will be praying for you!
Isn't this idiot and the state of pa violating property rights?
That's exactly what they're doing.
Isn't that funny, Wolff doesn't seem to realize that any "self-rightousness" appearing in this story is ALL HIS. He did this out of spite and hatred and nothing else. Anyone who believes otherwise is a fool.
I suggest that we take a look at the "Freedom from Religion Foundation" and find out just how they are discriminating against Religious people…….and then sue them…
Burn it down!
I say the next discount they offer is a "10% off to anyone but John Wolff."
I say the next discount they offer is a "10% off to anyone but John Wolff."
This is a fundamental bill of rights issue. A restaurant is engaged in commerce an therefore cannot discriminate against protected classes of the public. By encouraging active church going people to visit her business she is discouraging non religious people from going there. The result is that this destination becomes one frequented by like minded people at the exclusion or oppression of those not like minded. This would be fine for anything other than religion. The bill of rights is the law and this is a clear violation under the commerce clause. She could say all people that drive us made cars get a discount and that would be fine. Just not use race or religion as a basis for being granted the privilege. I applaud this guy for standing up to this zealot no matter how innocent she wants us to believe her act ins are. Honey, it is against the law…our oldest law.
"but I do bear a grudge against a religious right that seems to intrude on our civil rights.” How in the world is a discount to someone bringing in a church bulletin on Sunday intruding on anyone civil rights? I would hope that someone within the legal system in PA will toss this guy out on his ear for being frivolous. No, it is the liberal left that has intruded on our civl rights with their political correctness blather. Wolff, if you have a problem with the owners don't go to that restaurant, simple enough.
I hate the low-cut shirts and short shorts that the girls are expected to wear at Hooters. Do I file some indecent exposure complaint because it rubs me the wrong way? No! I just don't eat there! So if this guy doesn't like the choice these restaurant owners have made to give discounts to persons who bring in a church bulletin, then he can just stop eating there! It's not for the government to decide how these people run their business!
I wish I lived close enough that I could give them my business, discount or not I would eat there. Keep up the great work Prudhommes!
The restaurant owner has a right to give a discount of what they want to attract business besides for senior and for the kids. We don't know for sure of what's John Wolff's religion but he should be getting a senior discount too. What is this old man problem? That is what happening when you getting old…
If Wolff wants a discount, he can stop by any church and grab a bulletin. It's great marketing on the part of the restaurant. They attract the Sunday brunch crowd by offering the discount, and they don't even have to buy advertising in all the different church bulletins. Great idea!
Makes me sick to my stomach!
“I did this not out of spite, but out of a feeling against the prevailing self-righteousness that stems from religion, particular in Lancaster County,” Wolff told the York Daily Record. “I don’t consider it an earth-shaking affair, but in this area in particular, we seem to have so many self-righteous religious people, so it just annoys me.” John Wolff.
Isn't it amazing how Mr. W. can dicipher all this self-righteousness within other peoples' hearts? I wish I had that ability to read minds. And he didn't cause trouble for others "out of spite" but he sure wanted to make that restaurant pay and stop all those "self-righteous" religious people from getting any kind of discount! Earth shattering, indeed!
I think John Wolff needs to examine his own heart. He sounds like a bitter old man who wants to make others as miserable as he is.
Would be ironic if this restaurant gives this loudmouth old coot his discount of ribs without a church bulletin… then he chokes to death on his own dentures while eating them.
From what i heard they offer the discount with a church bulletin "or" a community center bulletin. He doesn't have a leg to stand on.
What if the local supermarket started giving 10% discounts to people with gay club bulletins or communist party bulletins or muslim mosque bulletins? They are all legal organisations under the constitution but would it be right? Just asking.
This lady really takes the cake. "We're just a mom and pop. We're not some big chain like the Olive Garden." Clearly not, cause the Olive Garden wouldn't be so stupid as to violate the Civil Rights Act so blatantly.
Then she goes crazy with the notion that she extend her offer to civic organizations. Hello lady, you're already extending your offer to anyone with a church bulletin! You can't afford to extend the offer beyod people who went to church services? Then you're admitting that the discount is discriminatory by design! Good luck in court!
Oh, and all you smarties talking about senior discounts… age discrimination is more limited in extent, and I doubt offering senior discounts is illegal anywhere.
Come on this is a bunch of crap. Listen, I'm atheist, but have no problem with them giving someone that went to church a discount. Restaurants and other places give discounts all the time to different groups. Some give military discounts, so does that mean places like Apple Bee's should be sued for giving veterans free meals on Veteran's Day? Aren't they discriminating against the majority of people in the U.S. that haven't served in the military? I mean, many people have a problem with the military and war and most people haven't served. People get discounts at restaurants for going to sporting events and bringing in their ticket stubs, should people now sue those restaurants for discriminating against those that don't like sports? This is a ridiculous thing to do this to the restaurant. Just because it deals with religion doesn't make it right to sue over some alleged discrimination.
If the family was giving a discount for open atheism and acts of blasphemy, would most of you find no fault in that either? It's a simple case of discrimination, no matter the twist.
I wonder what the fallout would be if a pharmacy company offered a discount ONLY to those who brought in a piece of paper denying the holy spirit? I wonder how many minds would spontaneously be changed.
Reminds me of having to pay the going rate for taxes for not bringing in an insurance policy. Seems Constutional to me.
If I owned a restaurant in Lancaster, I'd offer a 15 percent discount on Sundays to everyone who takes the Blasphemy Challenge. Wonder how many Christians who are mad at Wolff for complaining about this would be mad about me (or someone else) doing that…
If I owned a restaurant in Lancaster, I'd offer a 15 percent discount on Sundays to everyone who takes the Blasphemy Challenge. Wonder how many Christians who are mad at Wolff for complaining about this would be mad about me (or someone else) doing that…
There is only one place in America where there is no discrimination and that is Church. Churches welcome anyone especially non-believers.(at least my church does) So it seems to me that this guy has no case at all. He could have went to any church of his choosing on Sunday and got the same discount. He chose not to attend so his actions or non-action are to blame.
Stand with God and He will Stand with You. Never Submit.
How you wear that flag and talk about God.
That's right, Stephanie….there is a special place in hell for racists like you;-)
That's right, Stephanie….there is a special place in hell for racists like you;-)
Believing in God is "racist" now too?
First, look up the word "racist" and then look up the word "bigot" and finally, look up the word "intolerant". Those words describe you.
You're a "racist" because you think you're better than me and you're a bigot because you're insulting me because I believe in God and you're intolerant because you're calling me names and insulting me because I believe in God.
I feel sorry for you. You're so consumed with self hate, you can't debate let alone see straight. You will either commit suicide or end up murdering somebody and then be murdered yourself. You better commit suicide 'cause they won't kill you softly in prison.
hahahahahah…its people like you who will get murdered or kill themselves cause they hate others so much and their own lives. get an education you inbred. You think God will take interest in idiots like you. Your insulting Gods name when you try to associate him with crap like this.
I will get murdered ? why don't you come down where I am with your ku klux klown costume and see who gets a bullet in their head
This is unbelievable! If I lived there I would give them all my business! They own the business and as such have the right to give a discount to whoever they want! What is going on with the common sense in America? Is it all but gone! Does this man have nothing else to do?
Who has the right and what are they investigating?
Why has no media source mentioned that anything based on age is not discriminatory? Senior Citizen discounts are not illegal according to the civil rights acts. C'mon Fox, do some damn research!
That's messed up. Although I can see the reasoning, he admitted indirectly of doing this out of spite to the religious population. And there's two petty points to highlight: A 10% discount at a mom and pop place is MAYBE 5 bucks and anyone could go to the church, grab a flyer, and walk out. Hell, I wish my store did the same thing to encourage more business on sundays for brunch – otherwise it's sorta dead in my store.
Mr. Wolff, a retired electrical engineer, is obviously an intellectually gifted man. This does not, however, equate to intelligence. Instead of railing against "self-righteousness", he might focus his God-given gifts on the discernment of righteousness itself and realize that out society is being over run by the absence of it. When everything goes and Man is his own guide, everything will go under and we are fools who will have fools for leaders. Does that about sum up our current state of affairs, Mr. Wolff? Or, is that too self righteous?
Need to put an end to the nanny government, and it won't be with the incumbent or the "other guy".
For example, if you have an evergreen article about occupations in a given industry and a new occupation emerges as a hot trend, update your article with the new information. This ensures that your article remains relevant to your readers.
An email marketing solution would do wonders for your women’s apparel retail store, maximizing your potential for sales. By sending out targeted email newsletters, you will be able to increase your store’s brand awareness and also segment your audience. If your email campaigns are sent out in accordance to the changing of the seasons, your targets will be more refined. Increasing brand awareness and being able to refine your email marketing solution target market will bring more of your current customers to your retail location more often, meaning more sales!