Man banned from pub 'for being old and white' says staff drove him out with head-banging music
A Maryland man who says he was banned from his favorite local bar for 'being old and white' has claimed that staff previously tried to drive him away by playing obnoxious 'head-banging' music while he ate.
Neal Glessner, 52, is suing Dan's Restaurant and Taphouse in the small town of Boonsboro over allegations of discrimination. But he's now filed an amendment, highlighting how he's been 'treated poorly' by employees in the past, and allegedly driven by the venue with obnoxiously-loud and aggressive music.
Owner Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke, however, told DailyMail.com that 'alt-rock' is as hardcore as the music gets - and in fact ballads from Taylor Swift and chart-topping Lizzo are often played in the establishment.
The full-blown culture war erupted after a bartender allegedly threw Glessner and his friend out on February 18, 2022 because he's an 'old, white man.' The bar said that it was in fact because of his 'disruptive behavior' towards staff.
Now, Glessner alleges that days before the head-to-head confrontation on February 18, he was dining with friends at the establishment when the music in the dining room suddenly changed.
Neal Glessner, 52, is suing Dan's Restaurant and Taphouse in the small town of Boonsboro over allegations of discrimination. But he's now filed an amendment, highlighting how he's been 'treated poorly' by employees in the past
Owner Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke says there were 'repeated occurrences of disruptive behavior against members of our team' which caused the initial ban. In response to the 'head-banging' music allegations, she blasted them as 'utterly asinine'
After paying their $100 check, he claims that the music became 'very loud and obnoxious' and speakers started pumping out 'head-banging music.'
The self-proclaimed old white man said that the music choice made him feel 'very uncomfortable' - and he and his friends were unable to continue the rest of their conversations over the racket.
Glessner said that the disruptive music at 8.30pm was 'an obvious and obnoxious act to force them to leave the establishment.'
The lawsuit states: 'Moments after paying the check, the quiet background music in the dining room changed to very loud and obnoxious “head-banging" music.
'This made Plaintiff and his guests very uncomfortable and also made it impossible for his group to continue to their conversations. After the group felt that they were forced to leave, they all discussed how poorly the staff treated them and how the loud music was an obvious and obnoxious act to force them to leave.'
Speaking to DailyMail.com, owner Aufdem-Brinke said: 'Needless to say, Mr. Glessner’s latest accusations are utterly asinine, and his behavior is becoming more farcical with each passing day.'
She made clear that the bar has an eclectic playlist tailored to a diverse clientele - including modern hits and bangers from the 80s and 90s like Aerosmith and the Lemonheads.
Neal Glessner claims that in a separate instance, he felt very uncomfortable and forced out of the restaurant because they 'purposely' started playing head-banging music to kick him out
The bar and restaurant in the small Maryland town says they play an eclectic song list tailored to a diverse clientele - including modern hits and bangers from the 80s and 90s like Aerosmith and the Lemonheads
The owner added that her playlist is 'hardly the “headbanger’s ball” that Mr. Glessner describes in his filing. She said: 'I'd say alt-rock is about as hardcore as we get in the dining room.'
Mike Skinner, who is the manager accused of making the initial 'old, white' comment which kickstarted the local culture war, said: 'Also, if there were people at the bar, as he admits there were, we can't control what they decide to play on the jukebox.
'I don't recall this "head banging music" thing occurring that night at all but even if it did the jukebox is open to everyone. Maybe one of our customers was a metalhead?
'They could have played whatever music they wanted, jukebox is open to everyone.'
In response to the amended filing, the restaurant's owner said they are going to host a promotion this weekend where customers can help select their playlist.
Glessner previously stated in the lawsuit that he would often spend at least $500 a week at the local restaurant before he was ceremoniously banned.
Manager Skinner verbally barred Glessner and his friend from the premises and called the police, in a clip caught on bodycam footage.
The full-blown culture war erupted after a bartender at Dan's Restaurant and Taphouse (pictured) allegedly threw Glessner and his friend out on February 18, 2022 because he's an 'old, white man.' The bar said that it was in fact because of his 'disruptive behavior' towards staff
The owner added that her playlist is 'hardly the “headbanger’s ball” that Mr. Glessner describes in his filing. She said: 'I'd say alt-rock is about as hardcore as we get in the dining room'
Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke opened the tavern in 2012 with her now ex-husband Daniel
Mike Skinner (pictured), the manager who was working at Dan's at the time, verbally barred Glessner and his friend from the premises and called the police, in a clip caught on bodycam footage. Although not captured in the clip, the lawsuit claims he said: 'All of you old white men act like you own everything. Just get the f*** out. Neither of you are welcome here'
He allegedly exclaimed to Glessner's friend Joseph Michael - who just so happened to be the Deputy State's Attorney just appointed Judge - 'You old, white people act like you own everything. Get the f*** out of here!'
The pair had been complaining about waiting 40 minutes for a to-go order.
In the unearthed bodycam footage, Michael is heard said: 'I'm happy to go... but I just need to know if I'm banned or not?'
The manager Mike Skinner responds: 'Yes, you are banned. You are not allowed to come back in here.'
Although not captured in the footage, Glessner alleges the manager continued: 'All of you old white men act like you own everything. Just get the f*** out. Neither of you are welcome here.'
The ordeal has sparked a proxy war in the sleepy town. On Saturday, a group of a dozen protesters - headed by Shaun Porter - stood outside the restaurant, with signs that read: 'Old White Men's Lives Matter' and 'It Is Okay To Be White.'
And the group held a large red sign, reading: 'No Soup For You!! No Old Farts!!!' along with a reference to the 'Soup Nazi' from comedy show Seinfeld.
The battle between the opposing sides has also spewed online. Dozens of locals in the small town have got involved, giving their opinion, while both the plaintiff and defendants give status updates nearly daily.
Dan's Restaurant and Taphouse has sparked a culture war in the small town of Boonsboro, Maryland, after a bartender allegedly threw a customer out because he's an 'old, white man'
The group held a large red sign, reading: 'No Soup For You!! No Old Farts!!!' - a reference to the 'Soup Nazi' from comedy show Seinfeld
Skinner, the manager, gawked at the small number of protesters who rallied against his place of work, while owner Aufdem-Brinke bragged that business has never been better.
She also claims that the fallout from the ban has been a 'coordinated personal attack against our business.'
The restaurant's reviews have now been bombarded with 'fake' reviews - both good and bad - as the issue created a stir on social media.
Meanwhile Porter, one of Glessner's main supporters, has been updating his followers in a series of dramatic monologues and rabble-rousing recordings from the protest, posting them on YouTube.
According to the lawsuit, since being banished from the restaurant, the plaintiff 'has become aware of approximately a half-dozen other white men who have been barred from Dan's for otherwise inexplicable reasons.'
Glessner said that he has suffered - and will continue to suffer - 'irreparable economic loss, humiliation, embarrassment, mental and emotional distress, and strain on relationships' following the ordeal.
Charlotte Aufdem-Brinke opened the tavern in 2012 with her now ex-husband Daniel.
Bodycam footage showed the moment that Neal Glessner and his friend Joseph Michael were banned from the restaurant
The ban and lawsuit have created a proxy war in the small Maryland town. Protesters came out in their small forces on the weekend, with posters rallying against the restaurant
Previously speaking to DailyMail.com, Glessner added: '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.
'While it is easy for the owners to say that they insist their team members and guests be treated with respect by employees, you need look no farther than the social media posts of the restaurant's management and staff to see the hate-filled speech and "get-even" attitudes on their personal accounts. Clearly their insistence on respect is little more than an empty promise.
'Shame on Dan and Charlotte for condoning this kind of behavior and defending it now. As owners of a well-known establishment in our town, is it not the Aufem-Brinkes' moral and ethical responsibility to respect everyone equally, not just those whom they deem "worthy"?
'I do not want to continue the negative back-and-forth that is tearing our wonderful community apart. More divisiveness in our community is not what we need.'
Glessner's legal team did not respond for comment on the additional filing.
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