The proprietor of a Portland, Oregon, doughnut shop says he’s become the victim of cyber-bullying after posting a help-wanted ad that isn’t sitting well with the city’s vegans.
The trouble began Thursday for Pip’s Original Doughnuts when the shop posted an ad on a jobs website that it was looking to fill a few positions at its northeast Portland location, with prospective employees having “no non-medical, non-religious dietary restrictions that would stop you from tasting, accurately representing our food and maintaining quality control to maintain the highest standards of food safety and excellence.”
Critics have accused the shop of discriminating against vegans, and co-owner Nate Snell on Saturday said that Pip’s Doughnuts has since been “relentlessly cyber-bullied by a group of people using fear and intimidation tactics.”
The shop’s official Facebook page has been rife with complaints since the initial job posting was published, including quips from commenters who have accused the shop of discriminatory employment practices.
“Won’t return now that I know you discriminate against vegetarians in your hiring practices!” a Facebook user wrote on Pip’s wall. “We are good enough to buy your products, in my case near daily, but not okay to work there. There are surely enough employees for quality testing. I’ll be spreading the word in our rather large Portland community.”
“I support many non-vegan establishments but not ones who refuse to hire people based on an ethical choice they have made,” wrote another.
But despite cries of discrimination, Pip’s says it’s simply doing its part to ensure employees can keep the operation up to snuff.
“As a small, locally owned business we feel that voluntary lifestyle, non-medical & non-religious dietary restrictions could seriously compromise our ability to make crucial decisions to assure food quality and safety. It’s not discrimination, it’s common sense,” Pip’s owners said Saturday in a Facebook post.
A spokesperson for Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries told a local NBC affiliate that dietary preference is not protected under employment laws like sexual orientation and religion, meaning Pip’s hasn’t violated state law.
In April, PETA awarded Portland the title of 2016’s Most Vegan-Friendly City in the United States.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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