Way to go, Geno's!

I have a feeling that the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations's complaint against Geno's for its display of a "This is America - when ordering, speak English" sign is going to fail.

Rachel Lawton, acting executive director of the PCHR:

The sign may violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance, which bans businesses from discriminating on the basis of nationality or ethnicity, Lawton said.

"The complaint will say that the sign discourages patronage by non-English speakers because of their national origin and/or ancestry," Lawton, whose agency enforces the city's anti-discrimination laws, said before the official filing.

Hmmm...well, if the law is what she describes, her complaint will go down the tubes. Geno's isn't discriminating against any particular nationality or ethnicity. The restaurant would enforce the policy against any Russians, Mexicans, Americans, whites, blacks, or Asians who cannot speak English. Joey Vento, owner of Geno's, would be wise to stress that.