Brooklyn Pub Surrenders to Human Rights Commission
ˉ
The Welsh pub in Brooklyn that got in trouble for a want ad offering British applicants a leg up has given up its fight against the New York City Human Rights Commission. Enlarge This Image

Uli Seit for The New York Times Longbow Pub and Pantry in Brooklyn agreed to pay a $2,500 settlement to the city Human Rights Commission for a want ad that told applicants, “Being British definitely works in your favor.” Connect With NYTMetro

Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for news and conversation. The owners of Longbow Pub and Pantry in Bay Ridge agreed to pay a $2,500 settlement and undergo antidiscrimination training, one of the owners, Jennifer Colbert, said on Thursday.

Longbow landed in trouble after a spotter for the Human Rights Commission saw its ad for a bartender on Craigslist last year.

“Energetic and enthusiastic men and women with an appreciation of craft beer, good food, whisky and real football (a k a soccer),” the ad read in part. “Being British definitely works in your favor.”

Ms. Colbert and her husband, Michael Colbert, had said they were perfectly willing to hire a qualified non-British bartender, but the commission had said that was not the point, citing a provision of the city administrative code prohibiting employers from circulating any advertisement that expresses any specification as to national origin.

Ms. Colbert said she and her husband decided to settle on Thursday morning, on the day of a scheduled “conciliation meeting” before an administrative law judge, after her lawyer advised that the commission routinely rejected judges’ recommendations in such cases.

“My attorney said the commission made it clear to him that they didn’t care what the judge said, they would reject it,” she said. Longbow was subject to higher penalties if it went through with the conciliation process but ultimately lost its fight, Ms. Colbert said.

The commission’s general counsel, Cliff Mulqueen, said that it was “not correct” that the commission routinely disregarded judges’ recommendations. “We normally adopt the judge’s recommendations,” he said.

Councilman Vincent J. Gentile, who had advised the Colberts during their back-and-forth with the commission, said in a statement: “From the very beginning Jen and Mike wanted to do the right thing. Does the R in H.R.C. stand for rights or revenue? In this case, that answer is apparent.”

(2013-06-21/hrw)