A Washington, D.C. server was recently fired after telling a reporter that she would refuse to serve members of the incoming Trump Administration and GOP affiliates. This controversial incident highlights the growing divide between political ideologies in the workplace and raises concerns about the impact of personal political beliefs on professional conduct.
Suzannah Van Rooy, a waiter at the Beuchert's Saloon on Capitol Hill, made a statement to The Washingtonian saying she would not serve Trump officials, accusing them of being sex traffickers and condemning President-elect Donald Trump’s move of deporting the millions of illegal immigrants that entered under the Biden-Harris Administration.
“I personally would refuse to serve any person in office who I know of as being a sex trafficker or trying to deport millions of people," she said. “It’s not, ‘Oh, we hate Republicans.’ It’s that this person has moral convictions that are strongly opposed to mine, and I don’t feel comfortable serving them.”
She acknowledged that there seems to be a sense of defeat among Trump opponents but said she hopes “people still do stand up to this administration and tell them their thoughts on their misbehavior.”
However, when Van Rooy’s bosses learned of her plans to boycott certain customers, they fired her.
The restaurant said she was fired for violating their "zero-tolerance policy on discrimination.”
“Recent comments made by a member of staff who had no authority to speak on behalf of our entire restaurant have been, quite rightly, flagged as inappropriate, hostile, intolerant, and unacceptable. This staff member does NOT speak for us as a restaurant,” the restaurant stated.
The owners promised to open their doors to all customers, regardless of party affiliation or who they work for, and assured that diners would have a safe space to enjoy their meal.
“After the inauguration in January, we will begin serving our fourth administration as a neighborhood restaurant on Capitol Hill open to all and welcoming to all. We have always been a safe space for all. Everyone, especially anyone who feels prejudged or misunderstood, will always find friendly service and a sympathetic ear at Beuchert’s Saloon. Again, we deeply apologize for the comments made by a member of staff. They are NOT representative of our restaurant and do not reflect how we operate as a business and how proud we are to be a gathering place on Capitol Hill,” the statement continued.
The restaurant said it was “horrified to be associated with base prejudice” and that they feel “sheer dismay and disgust” at Van Rooy’s “unforgivable behavior.”
As I covered previously, many Trump officials have been targeted at restaurants and refused to be served over their job positions.
In 2018, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his wife were dining at an Italian restaurant in Washington when protestors bombarded them over his support for then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his contentious confirmation hearings. The couple was forced to leave the restaurant. Then, Trump aide Sarah Huckabee Sanders was forced to leave a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, for a similar reason.