Here’s a story out of Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus in Bronx, New York. Footage shows several students getting kicked out of a campus coffee shop for wearing Make America Great Again hats.
As seen on video, a woman loudly tells them to leave the student-run Rodrigue’s Coffee House.
“Five minutes, get out,” said the woman. When the MAGA-hat-wearing students asked her why they had to leave, she said, “I’m protecting my customers.”
The students demanded a refund for their drinks, but she refused.
“Well, you drank it,” she said. One guy insisted that he didn’t touch his.
The argument progressed, as she continued to count down to four minutes.
“You are wearing hats that completely violate our safe space policy,” she said. The MAGA-hatted students continued to press her on this, and she said the hats represented “Fascism, Nazis.” One of the students denied that, saying they represented America.
A university spokesperson said they’re looking into the incident.
“This appears to be a dispute between students at the coffee shop (known as Rodrigue’s) on the Rose Hill campus,” the school’s statement read. “Rodrigue’s is a student-operated part of our student-led Campus Activities Board and advised by Student Affairs staff. Proceeds from the coffee shop help to defray the cost of operations, and are managed by the Campus Activity Board. There is no University safe space policy, nor one that excludes any members of the Fordham community from any public spaces on the basis of their political views. Fordham is a community that values diverse opinions, and in which students should disagree with one another in a civil fashion. The University is still investigating the incident, and students who may have violated the University code of conduct will be met with the appropriate student conduct process.”
Fordham is a private university. It doesn’t have a “safe space” policy, but it does have a code of conduct.
As for Rodrigue’s, they didn’t immediately respond to a Law&Crime request for comment. They do have a safe space policy.
“We welcome diversity and we encourage all those participating in the Rodrigue’s community to express themselves creatively and respectfully,” said their Facebook page as of Monday afternoon. “As such, we urge everyone in the space to be aware of their own identity, and considerate of the personhood of their peers.”
This means making “no assumptions about someone’s gender, sexuality, race, class, or experiences.” Racism, sexism, and homophobia are also prohibited. MAGA-hats are not explicitly prohibited, but as their statement said:
Please understand that the above list is by no means exhaustive; these are only basic guidelines to help foster a safer space and a more inclusive community in Rodrigue’s. Ideas and actions that intend to violate any of the above are not welcome.
[Screengrab via cell phone footage; video obtained by Campus Reform]