Hooters bans San Diego Mayor Bob Filner from entering establishments

According to Slate, all of the chain’s San Diego-based restaurants are refusing to serve Filner, who is alleged to have sexually harassed 13 women while in office. He completed a round of therapy for his sexual addictions earlier this week. 

The restaurants participating in the boycott all have signs – like the one to the left – posted on their doors.

“This establishment recognizes that we all have political differences and we serve people from all walks of life,” the signs say. “We also believe it is imperative for people to have standards. They mayor of San Diego will not be served in this establishment. We believe women should be treated with respect.”

This is a bold move from a restaurant in which its female wait staff is expected to wear T-shirts revealing their midsection and maintain a fit figure. But in this case, the restaurant that bills itself as “blissfully tacky yet unrefined,” is standing up for women.

“It’s not a political move for us in any way, shape, or form,” Melissa Fry, the director of marketing for HootWinc, the west coast Hooters franchise, told Slate. “We’re strictly taking a stand for the fair treatment of women. At our franchise alone, we employ 1,100 beautiful, talented women.”

Among the first to notice the signs was Francis Barraza, the executive director of the Republican Party of San Diego, who tweeted out the following:

Filner also faces  a lawsuit from the city of San Diego for the costs incurred by the city in fighting the sexual harassment lawsuit levied against him by his former communications director.