A Long Island Bar’s Age Policy Differs for Men and Women. Is It Legal?

[SecularMotion]

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. — It is a nightly ritual. Men and women head to the rooftop bar at Kasey’s Kitchen and Cocktails here on Long Island, only to be turned away because they are not old enough. But there is a quirk in the establishment’s policy for its rooftop bar, which states men must be at least 30 and women, just 25.

The motivation behind the disparity might be fairly transparent to the average bar patron. But is it legal?

A co-owner of Kasey’s, Anthony Geraci, said that in his bar he could set whatever policy he liked.

“If you build a house, you decorate it the way you want,” said Mr. Geraci, who opened Kasey’s with Tom McNicholas in 1999. “I could open a bar tomorrow and it could be an over-40s bar.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/nyregion/a-long-island-bars-age-policy-differs-for-men-and-women-is-it-legal.html

[spooky3]

1. As the article states, no.

Can't differentiate on the basis of gender in public accommodations.

[Ohioblue22]

2. No here's what is said about that

The policy at Kasey’s, Ms. Lieberman said, violates New York State’s Human Rights Law. The law she cited, Executive Law 296, prohibits the owner of “any place of public accommodation, resort or amusement” from denying anyone entry “because of the race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, or disability or marital status of any person.”

Although it doesn't say age

[kcr]

10. He's still denying entry based on sex

He's applying his rules on age based on sex.

[The2ndWheel]

3. There's a bar on just about any corner

If this one wants to limit their financial potential, more power to them.

[angrychair]

4. Actually

I would have been less surprised if that had said no older than 25...at least he they have some standards

[yellerpup]

5. When I was growing up in Oklahoma

Boys couldn't buy beer at 18 but girls could, however, neither boys nor girls could drink beer legally until they were 21.

[meaculpa2011]

6. I live within walking distance...

of restaurant row in RVC.

Every restaurant and saloon is mobbed every night. I agree that this may be discriminatory, but nobody's losing any business over it.

[whatthehey]

7. I actually like the idea of higher age restrictions in some places

Don't give a crap about gender of course, but having a place or two where you can avoid at least most of the amateur hour frat boys who can't handle booze, communicate only in silly wordless yelps between shots, and think it's amusing to play everything on the juke box that has the word "fuck" in it then demand it be played at earsplitting volume at 7 o'clock in a place with a dozen people in it, would be far from a bad thing

[spooky3]

13. He'd be fine if he said minimum age 30, period.

[GOLGO 13]

8. Just because you can legally drink at 21 does not automatically mean your mature enough

I avoid many places that cater to drunken hooligans & instead prefer more top shelf establishments. I don't want to associate with drunken man-children during their whiskey-learning cycle.

Usually wisdom comes with age. Not 100% true all the time but I'll give the stylish greybeard with the suede wingtips the benefit of the doubt.

[GummyBearz]

9. Any place without a dress code...

...that includes a mandatory $200 tie for men is beneath me. I prefer to be above as many people as possible. Though it is true sometimes a 21 year old with rich parents can get in to such places, I give them the benefit of the doubt.

[snooper2]

11. you could always buy platform shoes

[GummyBearz]

12. That is a good idea

If I start noticing too many people over 6'2 at my favorite places I will definitely get platform shoes

[Orrex]

14. I wear a $200 tie to such places and nothing else.