A Mississippi State University student has been arrested and charged after a video went viral of antisemitic comments being made toward Barstool Sports founder and president Dave Portnoy, who was in Starkville over the weekend for MSU’s football game against Georgia.
The Starkville Police Department took into custody Patrick McClintock, a junior mechanical engineering major, according to the university’s student newspaper. The Reflector reported that McClintock, 20, had a warrant issued for his arrest over the weekend and was arrested Monday. He was charged with disturbing the peace and was released on a $2,500 bond.
“Every person has the right to feel safe and respected in our community,” the Starkville Police Department stated. “Offensive words alone are protected, but when behavior disrupts a public event or risks violence, the Starkville Police Department will take steps to help maintain safety and security.”
When the video was captured on Friday afternoon, Portnoy was in the middle of one of his popular “One Bite” pizza reviews at Boardtown Pizza & Pints. Standing outside the restaurant, a young male hurled antisemitic comments at Portnoy before Portnoy asked him to show his face on camera. The two then had a brief exchange before a security officer got between them.
While Portnoy, who is Jewish, used most of the weekend to compliment Starkville and the hospitality shown by those associated with Mississippi State, he said in a clip posted by CBS ahead of the full interview being aired next Sunday that he faces antisemitism “every day” and is working to put an end to it. The interview with CBS was recorded before the incident in Starkville.
“It’s every day now,” he said. “There’s a definitive shift in what’s going on.
“For me, being a Jewish person, you got to step up. [If] you’re kind of someone people look up to in the Jewish community, you have to be like, ‘All right, this is not normal’ … People are coming in with real hate.”
It’s at least the second time this year Portnoy has been the target of bigoted remarks, with a similar incident happening in Toronto in June.
