Diving Deeper Into the Union Pool Incident

um #70 is an idiot - the bouncer beat the kid up.

as for "no self control", "look bloated", etc -- why did you decide to move here then ?

nobody put you on a fuckin' plane and made you fly here ... or run across the border.

just sayin.

This is very typical of americans, they don't know how to drink. It makes me cringe that you can all go to war and die and yet not be able to drink cause your momies will beat you silly. Frigging american society and your piss beer, you have a very fucked up relationship with alcool, sure explains why 70% of y'all look bloated, go binge in your fucking holes, no self control. You always have to destroy everything or become totally annoing after 3 bud lights... joke.

hm.. obviously union pool's owners haven't sought legal council to craft that bullshit letter...

charlie should totally sue the shit out of them for lying. and spreading such a lie.

Just as I figured, an asshole bar for asshole customers. And, it comes from the OWNERS. I loved the way the wording was used in the letter.

There was no reason for the bouncer to go "outside" to continue the provacation. The only reason was to beat up a patron.

Just another tough guy bouncer, time to light him up.

have fund getting your asses sued off Alyssa, Sage & Zeb! This kid is going to take you to the cleaners!

UNION POOL LETTER (IN FULL, NOT EDITED)

To all concerned,

Union pool has been and will always be a bar that supports our community. We have a long and proud history of welcoming all walks of life through our door and behind our bar.

We thank you for your sincere concerns regarding the incident that occurred after the Milksop party. If the incident occurred the way it was described in the blogosphere, we would be outraged as well. However, that's not how things actually went down. Not even close. These posts were extremely irresponsible. Nobody attempted to get the story from the ejected patron (who's name we won't use, as he is a regular customer), Union Pool or the Milksop people. We'd like to straighten out some of the facts.

Haven spoken directly to all of the people involved, we are all in complete agreement that this was not a "gay bashing" incident. Homophobia played no part whatsoever in this patron being asked to leave the premises or anything else that occurred. The patron was one of many people in the back bar when it was being closed down at the end of the night (the front bar and outdoor area were still open). Not wanting to leave, he began to verbally harass the security staff. He was then told he would have to leave the bar altogether. At this point alcohol got the better of him, and he physically assaulted one of the security staff in a highly personal and uncalled for manner. Unfortunately, the patron decided to go out fighting and both he and the security were the worse for it. Nobody was "beaten bloody" that night. Our security person never struck this man. He only tried to subdue him using the techniques that are professionally taught and encouraged when a person has become uncooperative and violent. He is certified and trained both physically and psychologically, and has been working in this industry for over fifteen years.

The whole incident was regrettable for all the parties involved, but was no where near as bad as the gossip and rumors. The customer was not beaten, nor a victim of his sexual preference. Our security team's job is to be there for all of us alike. They are controlled and reasonable people who put up with a lot of abuse and take our safety very seriously.

We care deeply about our community and everyone in it.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding this or anything else.

Alyssa, Sage & Zeb

Union Pool

unionpool@mac.com

publish the letter from union pool in full, you don't owe them anything!

maybe because you're a regular patron at union pool, jen, gotta keep your hands and nose clean? please--i would hope you're a journalist first and a hipster second.

let the truth of their shady dealings be made transparent. i seriously hope mr. tu sues the hell out of union pool for disseminating false information, and obviously trying to make him out to be a liar (SLANDER!).

Finally, the truth comes out.

Union Pool patrons are hispter assholes. also know as skinny tough guys with messed up hair.

next time light the place up. light em up.

and slap them in the face like the bitch they are.

the city is infested with new brand of transplant skinny hipster tough guy.

I have more respect for the Brooklyn bay ridge/bensonhurst tough guy. I've never had a problem with them, they know the real nyc deal.

hipsters can be surprisingly close-minded. they maintain a different sort of status quo.

if i had a dollar for every time i was treated like some anomaly because i'm black + in "the scene", well, i wouldn't have student loan debt. same thing for id'ing as queer in this "community". it's a heterosexist world...and sometimes it feels like williamsburg is its epicenter.

union pool's clientele consists primarily dudes with frat boy mentalities, expensive art school educations and skinny jeans, and any record pitchfork tells them is cool to listen to. and haggard, boring, girls looking for some bony, blank-eyed tail.

gays, there are better bars in the burg. you may want to reconsider hosting milksopp elsewhere...not necessarily someplace obvious like metropolitan, but someplace where the dynamic isn't so gross.

union pool should be ashamed of themselves for their way of handling it. and charlie, PRESS SOME CHARGES!

-signed,

a friend

Couldn't care less about this story. Just want to say that edEx is a douchebag.

Douchebag!

Wow, you folks are pretty heartless for New Yorkers. If you happen to be uninsured in New York, any hospital here MUST treat you. If you truly can't pay New York State maintains a huge fund of money that hospitals can dip into in order to service broke and uninsured folks. Hospitals hate to tell you this, and will tell you that you must be insured to get treatment, but that just isn't so. 311 can point you in the correct direction in order to get that started.

Bouncers are like everyone else. For every juiced up thug, there's a gentle giant with a heart of gold. Either way, no one deserves to get beat up.

If it really was a "public" email (your word) and you didn't reprint it b/c they asked you not to, you are total pussies, and not at all the journalists you like to pretend you are.

hey i know i signed in as a guest, and that that fact somehow diminishes the legitimacy of my comment, but that's only because my preferred login handle, "goatse.cx" was already taken.

that said, why would union pool direct their bouncers to institute a policy of lowered tolerance for belligerent behavior from homosexual clientèle?

i have heard that union pool is something of a hipster "meat market" . . . the presence of gay patrons disturbs the intricate mating dance of straight hipsters looking to hook up . . . i'm sure ladies who love ladies are welcome as long as they're not "man-haters" (i.e., they're not really dykes, they just know their man loves a good threesome).

what i'm saying is if people really think union pool as a business has made a business-motivated decision to make gays feel unwelcome, then the best way to retaliate would be to flood the bar with all your gay friends, frustrating the purposes of staight hipsters, forcing them to move on to the next bar, and forcing union pool to reluctantly accept its status as a gay bar. basically, you gotta "turn out" union pool, or "punk" it, in prison terms.

I'm one of those people that received Union Pool's email about this situation. It's pretty clear why they have asked it not be published in full, it is full of bullshit lies.

Even is absolutely nothing happened, as they claim in their email, I am so disgusted by the way they have handled this...I'm going to drink somewhere else.

they suck

Since he has no insurance, IMO, he should see a lawyer and get a professional legal opinion.

All the kid has to do is find an ambulance-chaser "attorney" and he'll make at least $30k off of Union Pool. I have no doubt that dozens have probably contacted him already.

All he needs is hospital bills. He doesn't even need any witnesses (which I understand he has).

Union Pool will settle the case with him rather than go to court.

Word of advice...

If you get beat up, robbed, raped... what have you — contact the NYPD. Do this immediately. Demand that the crime (yes, these are crimes) are further investigated, that police collect the facts. Get witnesses to give statements. Seems easy enough in this case. Obviously the UP managers and staff know who the bouncer is and the victim has friends who are witnesses. There are always a ton of cops sitting outside of Kellogg's right around the corner.

If you feel you've been the victim of a crime, especially a hate crime, file a report. As we all know that the NYPD does not have a good reputation (I have had horrific experiences myself), be sure to get a copy of your report, the name and number of someone to follow up with. And follow up. Obviously, you will be hurt and traumatized, so enlist a friend's help.

Create a paper trail. Chances are, if someone victimized you, assaulted you, beat you up, robbed you — they are going to do it again. Get legal help. Here are some resources:

NYS Crime Victims Board

55 Hanson Place, 10th Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11217

(718) 923-4325

(800) 247-8035

NY Crime Victims' Rights - http://crime.about.com/od/victims/qt/victims_ny.htm

Free Legal Services in NYC

I said, I don't care if you're a racist.

I just said, PA has the largest number of White nationalist groups/skinheads/aryan nation than any souther state.

Second was Ohio, I would of said WV but I knew there's shit going on in Ohio, the love to kill black folks.

I wouldn't be surprised if the patrons of Union Pool are racists. and, it's so easy to prove, too. and they don't even need to be drunk because we all know who much leaks out when you're drunk.

Union Pool is a boring bucket of snakes anyway. Gross.

Again, I'm from PA - I'm NOT a racist and to imply that I am just because I come from the same place as some other racists is probably a little nuts - just like you.

PA has the highest number of white supremacy groups, second i Ohio.

I don't care if you're a racist but why did Union Pool hire a racist homophobic bouncer who would crack you skull at a blink of an eye??????

49 - I have absolutely no idea what you're trying to say - but yeah - most people who hang at places like Union are okay with being in the same room as other races. To accuse people who moved to New York of being racist because.... well I don't know what your point is actually. I'm racist because I come from PA? Someone is racist because they come from East New York?

You're not tracking.

Wanna bet?

Gee, transplants not racist? well golly gee.

wait, that's the other victim coming forward.

how do we know UP hires racists? There's absolutely no proof of that anywhere. You commenters are far too provincal to understand that racism really isn't a part of the rarefied nightlife New Yorker's have constructed for themselves. The patrons at UP are a relatively diverse bunch and the place is run by a progressive management - otherwise the patrons would be a very different breed. Always when I go there, the bouncer is either a 250-pound b-boy in a hoodie with a couple of chains or a 250-pound metalhead with tats talking to a 250-pound b-boy with a hoodie.

In New York, we've created communities where racists don't go because they don't want to go there. Bars that cater to New York progressives hire bouncers to match the customers. I know as I've worked at a number of bars with number of bouncers. If they mess someone up, it's usually because they're an ass who enjoys a fight now and then - not because they're a racist.

It's a hipster bar in a hipster section of a hipster burg in New York City. I guarentee you it's harder to find a genuine racist in those parts than it is to find an Asian twink without health insurance.

press charges

WHY IN THE NAME OF GOD DID YOU NOT PRESS CHARGES?????? WERE YOU DRUNK THEN TOO??

when did racism ever come into this conversation?

I didn't know he was gay. unless Union Pool suddenly became a gay bar.

but now that you've mentioned it,

Why does Union Pool, bar in Williamsburg, still keep a bouncer who beat up a patron, A patron who is Gay, are they Homophobic?

We know they hire racists and applicants who have a tendency to beat up patrons. Those are the bouncers.

If this guy was straight, the identity politics mafia wouldn't give a shit. File a police report, sue their asses off, do whatever you need to do to get justice...just don't imply that your ass is different than anyone else's simply because you're gay.

you guys need to watch Sicko, the american healthcare system is fucked. maybe we should have never succeeded from the UK.....

Actually Ed, that wasnt me who posted earlier about republicans and healthcare. I was just picking apart your argument, and mainly giving you a hard time for calling people out for not using an "alias".

How by the way can you tell me that gov't subsidized health care sucks? Just because full-fledged subsidization doesnt work in other countries doesnt mean partially-subsidized health care wouldnt work here. My main point being that any help is better than none.

Who put those words into your mouth? That blood-sucking union you're a part of?

uuuhhh, tkaisen (dumbass), lets see you get hit like this (in the pic) and see if youre fine with it

For someone who was "beat bloody" there are certainly a distinct lack of cuts and bruises.

...and he likes it rough.

i'm not a tough guy, but i sure as shit can defend myself and i have friends that wouldn't run away from an attack. this story isn't about a group of bouncers, it's about one bouncer, if he was a bouncer at all, like i said, it could have been a big guy...

#24: i didn't say it has nothing to do with politics, you singled out republicans which i can understand, yoiu think all the ills are republican related. idiot. i can tell you however that government subsidized health care sucks. i'd rather pay for it either thru my job or union.

it's funny how someone like yourself with so much distaste for the US gov't wants the US gov't to pay for health care... hilarious. pick a side douch bag... pick a side.

hahaha, he's mixed japanese and chinese and drools over emo boys!

Charlie, you're cute. Korean?

I've been to UP. I am asian. I am gay. I live in Wburg. I am uninsured (for a few more days at least). If a bouncer did to me what you claim those photos are a result of, no way in hell would I not file charges.

Union Pool would have to lick my bum and buy me one of those new wburg riverfront condos (with manhattan view, hey...might as well join them) for me NOT to file charges. And it's also just the right thing to do if I felt like I was not at fault. Think of it this way- it would be the 'cool' thing to do.

3. learn to defend yourself.

Oh yeah, tough guy? I'm pretty sure you would not fare well with a group of bouncers. You flatten one, they all start a group beat down.

A lot of my gay friends have been telling me for months that union pool was full of homophobic assholes. I didn't believe it until now. I won't drink there again. I'll spend my money in one of the other thousands of bars in NYC.

shoulda light that place up, in more ways than 1.

No health insurance, HOW DARE HE! He should of stayed home if you don't have insurance.

The NERVE of Him!

that's sarcasm.

I've seen Charlie on television before. He was the spokesperson for the ACLU, at least he was last year. And I certainly hope the ACLU gives their employees health insurance. Still, I feel bad about everything that happened to him.

And yes, "one fucking kid gets beat up by a bouncer in brooklyn, get over it" ... but that next person could be you.

" Has no one ever heard about bouncers beating up obnoxious patrons? Even bouncers at big corporate venues like House of Blues and *corporate name here* pavilions are notorious for this."

and it is WRONG of them to go to those lengths. I disagree that these notorious actions of bouncers in THOSE place and anywhere for that matter are the professional duties of a bouncer; they are not. order out of chaos not disordering the scene.

jesus christ, again with the why does blankity blanks come to this Great nation of ours excuse again.

one should ask, why does Union Pool, the bar in Williamsburg, hire and retain racist bouncers with violent tendencies and beat up patrons who has no Health Insurance?

add in, America, the Greatest country in the world.

I feel like I'm watching the local nightly news. Sensationalism gone through the roof.

I like how the same blog that has reported extensively on separate incidents were different bouncers around the city got in fights, shot patrons, and abducted and raped a patron, has people outraged and shocked that a bouncer beat someone up.

Seriously? Has no one ever heard about bouncers beating up obnoxious patrons? Even bouncers at big corporate venues like House of Blues and *corporate name here* pavilions are notorious for this.

One fucking kid gets beat up by a bouncer in Brooklyn. Get over it.

#20 it's clear charlie has self entitlement issues. maybe mommy didn't coddle him as a baby—this could also be why he has no health insurance.

health insurance isn't free in most nations. the idea that it is absurd. and if it is free, you can guarantee the medical practices are far below par. why the hell do you think many people come to the US for medical treatment?

government subsidized health care does have a hell of a lot to do with politicos not supporting it; but obviously an ignoramous like yourself chooses to shirk that fact...and edEx just because you have a registered account on here doesnt mean youre not hiding as well; I certainly cant look up edEx in the phone book.

That's because the bouncers at Union Pool, the bar in Williamsburg hires racist bouncers with violent tendencies and are prone to beating up customers.

Even when customers are not doing anything to provoke the violent bouncer at Union Pool, the bar in Williamsburg.

i dont know how to use the internets as much as you so i can only handle guest, what does it matter anyway, regardless: most republicans feel that lazy asses dont deserve health insurance, only those who work.

funny thing, health insurance in this nation has nothing to do with republicans or dems or libs not supporting it... but obviously an ignoramos like yourself wouldn't know that. also, try signing in a real user andf not hiding your 2nd grade brain behind "guest".

Yes... get off your high horse and get a job with health insurance like we adults have done.

Also... stop getting drunk and provoking people. I have been getting plastered in bars near and far, gay/straight, black/white, northern/southern for more than 20 years. NEVER have I been beaten by a bouncer.

Why does Union Pool the bar in Williamsburg still have a racist, violent bouncer still on the payroll?

Why does Union Pool the bar in Williamsburg allow racist violent bouncers who beat up customers working currently?

Why does Union Pool have it's flacks and flunkies troll the Gothamist board when it comes to incidents of racist violent bouncers who beat up customers?

Why is Union Pool management not fess up to the truth and do the right thing?

Whatever. I certainly won't go there again.

Everyone assumes that post number 4 is the actual person. Could be anyone in this anonymous setting.

i have to agree with #11, 100%!

"not having health insurance is your own problem. no one elses?"

republican!

I am TIRED of the claim that since he was an 'obnoxious asshole' to the bouncer's face that he deserved what he got: reality check, BUDDY: bouncers are not prison wardens and should beat and strangle an aggressor. they are set there to do away with riff raff forcefully and with as little commotion as possible.

I know #6, he's a flack for Union Pool.

#3/#7: The paragraph that includes the word "understand" hardly lets UP off the hook, going on to say, "it seems like they could have saved themselves some trouble if they investigated it from the get-go." And if you go back and read the original post on this, Jen was simply reporting on a story that was developing with as much info as she had, in what reads as a reasonably circumspect tone, given the allegations. She also dutifully sought out the other side of the story from Union Pool and they were unresponsive. Had she waited to post the story before hearing from them, we'd probably still be waiting.(We now know why.)

That the manager at Union Pool went on to try and cover up what happened, after all that pious talk about how "the community should support us" is particularly galling. That place makes money hand over fist. The LEAST they can do, now that they're being publicly forced to address the incident, is pay for the guy's medical bills.

playing devil's advocate here:

maybe, the bouncer was self defending himself. maybe charlie really is an asshole and lunged at the bouncer... maybe the bouncer wasn't really the bouncer, but just a big dude. there are a lot of big dudes out there, but they're not necessarily bouncers.

drunks are supposed to be out of control assholes. security guards aren't. so what if this fellow is an asshole when he is drunk? i could see that justifying some patron he annoyed decking him, but not a bouncer. he can drag him outside. that's all. charlie should sue for his medical bills - and his recovery should be limited to his medical bills. he seems to have contributed to this situation, but the bouncer had a duty not to take the bait.

If this story doesn't interest Gothamist readers, then why are we reading it right now? I live in Williamsburg and I am glad to hear that violent bouncers can't just get away this type of thing. Its also getting harder for organizations to gloss over mishandled incidents like this one because of sites like Gothamist and the rich discourse it hosts. I for one think this makes the world a much better place. That bouncer deserves to be fired for his lack of restraint. Anyone have mobile phone camera action takes on this?

1. not having health insurance is your own problem. no one elses.

2. you filed a police report and did not press charges. why?

3. learn to defend yourself.

not "press charges"??? and "cool with" getting beaten after talking to some "manager"???? -- pfft, whateva I'm thru watching this one.

okay, okay - so I wrote #3 and in #4 Mr. Tu explains how he did go to the cops. Yes, having no insurance does suck a big one - lived through 5 years and 2 health scares with none myself.

I know this kid. He's an obnoxious asshole- especially when drunk. He had it coming.

Union Pool sucks - a friend's drink was dosed with roofies or ghb or something similar there, by an unknown individual - not NECESSARILY by staff...

i did file a police report - but did not 'press charges'.

as far as i was concerned - all this stuff was over and i was cool with everything (after talking to management there).

but earlier today i was forwarded the email / press release that union pool sent out, finding that it was mostly false - their claims that i was NEVER punched, beat up or had a finger laid on me.

this is the FIRST time ive ever contacted a blog myself.

getting beat up sucks. getting beat up and having the person(s) involved saying it didnt happen ... sucks even more.

- charlietu@gmail.com

ps

actually, not having health insurance sucks just as much too.

It's funny how now you "understand" it can be hard to get a story straight and that you now praise UP for investigating when only a couple of days ago you seemed convinced that someone should lose their job based on one person's email. Even though the pics are distrubing, it seems the comments have taught you that reporting is about covering your bases and presenting multiple angles with at least an attempt at objectivity. Granted, you're bloggers, but I applaud you for realising that with the ability to broadcast news comes the responsibility of digging and backing up your statements. Even though your an events writer - try to apply that in the future.

Again, #1 is right - while UP news is relevant to Gothamist readers - like me - I'd like to know if Mr. Tu contacted the Cops before you. With evidence like above, I personally would have been at the hospital later that night, at local precinct house the next morning - no matter how much pain I was in - and at a laywer's office soon after. Going to a blog may be a good fifth or sixth step - but a lousy first one.

gothamist crime fighters!

Uh, shouldn't this guy file a police report??? instead of contacting gothamist?????