Dave Portnoy expressed deep frustration following an anti-Semitic incident that occurred at his Philadelphia bar, Barstool Sansom Street. The Barstool Sports founder indicated that the offensive sign, which accompanied a bottle service order on Saturday night, might have been intended as a joke—but he made it clear he saw nothing humorous in the gesture. He emphasized that such behavior reflected what he described as “pure idiocy.”
Donate to Kelli Thompson and help her defeat the (((cancel culture MOB)))!https://t.co/oIVlqh3jVl https://t.co/RfqfFt0xHc pic.twitter.com/0lUVAovy4q
— Andy Powlas (@andypowlas) May 6, 2025
Portnoy reportedly reacted with disbelief, particularly because the incident took place in one of his own establishments. He acknowledged noticing a broader increase in antisemitism and described the act as both irresponsible and deeply offensive. Two female servers who delivered the sign to the table were promptly dismissed. One of the bottle girl has now been identified as Kelli Thompson who is also a dancer and has been removed from her dancing job as well.
Kelli who worked as a waitress and bottle girl at Barstool Sansom Street in Philadelphia is also a movement based performance artist and chorographer raised in Huntington Beach, California with her dance training taking place at the Huntington Beach Academy of the Performing Arts.
Kelli Thompson first got the boot from the Barstool nightclub after taking part in this weekend’s antisemitic sign fiasco at Barstool Philly and now she’s also been terminated from her dance studio job.
A student from Temple University, located just a couple of miles from the bar, faced interim suspension as the university launched an investigation into their alleged involvement. Portnoy reportedly confronted two customers who placed the order, questioning their judgment and expressing anger over the incident. He stated that he had initially offered them an educational trip to Auschwitz to better understand the consequences of antisemitism. The student who has been suspended has since been identified as Mohammed Adnan Khan.
Barstools “F*ck the Jews” sign UPDATE: waitress Kelli Thompson has been also terminated from her dance job by the studio owner per @FoxNews. pic.twitter.com/PD2Tn42tmM
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 5, 2025
Advocacy groups, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, weighed in, saying the incident served as a reminder of how normalized anti-Semitic displays had become in public spaces. Executive Vladislav Khaykin reportedly appreciated the swift action taken by the business, though he warned that such behavior continued to thrive due to unchecked hate both online and offline.
Portnoy rejected claims that his Auschwitz offer was a “paid vacation,” clarifying that the trip had been intended as a sobering learning experience. He expressed frustration over how the situation had unfolded and conveyed how personal the issue felt to him. According to Portnoy, the rise in hate created an increasingly unsafe atmosphere—one that affected not only him but also his parents and his broader community.