Pro-Israel student refused service

By · May 7, 2007

A Maryland food co-op is discussing its customer service policy after a pro-Israel student was refused service. In late April, a checkout person at the Maryland Food Collective told a student that her “I Stand With Israel T-Shirt” was offensive, and refused to serve her, according to diamondbackonline.com, the University of Maryland newspaper. The student found another worker to help her but left the store “emotionally distraught,” said Avi Mayer, president of the Pro-Israel Terrapin Alliance."To my understanding, it was done openly and in front of others, and in
a mildly humiliating manner, and that really is something that is not
acceptable,” Mayer told the paper after speaking with the student. The student “really does want to resolve
this, but I think it goes way beyond her individual experience because
we can’t allow this… to be an epidemic."Jewish students attended the collective’s weekly meeting April 30, where workers asserted their right to deny service to anyone they chose. However,
one worker said the co-op’s policy on service will be discussed and possibly
amended. An official statement from the
co-op will be available this week, she told the paper.