City Settles ‘Modesty Lawsuit’ Against Hasidic Storeowners
The city’s Commission on Human Rights has settled a 17-month-old lawsuit against seven Hasidic-owned stores in Williamsburg that posted signs asking customers to dress modestly.
The stores faced fines totaling as much as $75,000 for asking people entering not to come in “sleeveless” or with a “low-cut neckline.” Such restrictions violate city law by restricting entry to only certain classes of customers, the commission said.
But on Tuesday, three weeks into the new administration, officials came up with a very simple solution: The stores could put up signs saying that modesty is appreciated as long as they added that everyone was welcome to shop.
Human Rights Commissioner Patricia L. Gatling insisted that the old signs “discriminated against women.” But she added that the commission is now satisfied that the store owners understand their obligations under the law.
The merchants, who have consistently maintained that the dress code was religion-based, declared the settlement a victory.
“I am gratified that this case is finally over and that the seven small businesses of Lee Avenue have been vindicated,” said Rabbi David Niederman, president of the United Jewish Organizations Williamsburg.
“It was an outrage for this case to be brought in the first place.
“If you go to a upscale restaurant, there is a dress code. Yet when small businesses in Williamsburg do the same, they are attacked and threatened with fines that would put them out of business?” Niederman said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio dodged questions Tuesday about the sudden change. “We want to respect every community in everything we do,” he said.
yd
imagine that they can’t respect modesty. its just hard to figure.
declasse' intelectual
#1: It is how the left wing establishment defines politically correct and what values they believe that should be enforced upon the public as a whole–if they can get away with it. If they could ban certain sections in the Chumash, they would.
Haven't you ever
seen a store post “No shirt, no shoes, no service”?
Or was that just in the “olden days”?
Welcome, Women
Good, now that I am officially “welcome,” I can stroll through their shop naked. If they expel me, I’L sue them for “discrimination against women’s rights.”
And I probably also have the “right” to “trade” in any property in this country of “Freedom” and “Democracy”, so they can’t prevent me from opening a DVD store in their neighborhood. I would sue them for being abusive. And since they don’t have internet, DVD sales will make me rich.
But I won’t sue Great Flags for their “rule” that women must wear shirts.
Besides, I am “educated,” so am proud to know that sociologists have found that we cover ourselves since we are brainWashed and we have an UnConcious OutDated UnRealistic fear of upsetting a god C”V, and of having EmoTions such as Guilt for our “sins,” and for which we must Get It Out with the HELP of PRROFFESSIONNALL SYKOLOGISTS who were TRAINED by OFFICIAL holders of all knowledge of SIENSE. They KNOW.
They successfully changed me from a fearful child who was ABUSED by parents who made me feel GUILTY that I SINNED by covering up armes and neckline.
But now I know better – we have WOMENS RIGHTS and it would be DISKRIMINASHON to tell others how to dress.
So, thanks for the sign welcoming us in. You sure will be hearing from us!
Milhouse
Think again; the sign will say that all are welcome – so long as they’re dressed appropriately. In other words, the stores’ policy has not changed at all, they’ve just agreed to add a line explicitly saying what any normal person would already understand, that if you obey these rules you may enter.
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unfortinatley i think every store should have that rule
do to whats hapenning in our days
reader
You wrote this article at the beginning of the kinus for chof bais Shevat. The Rebbe saw women in the opposite way as Patricia L. Gatling. Whereas she sees modesty as something which puts women in an inferior position, the Rebbe saw modesty as well as other Torah laws for women as a way Hashem puts women in a superior light. Can someone send Patricia Gatling the sichos of the Rebbe about the virtues of women dressing modestly? It is no coincidence that you wrote this at this time.