Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has revoked his offer of an educational trip to Auschwitz for two men involved in displaying an antisemitic sign at his Philadelphia bar, after one of the individuals denied responsibility and launched a fundraising campaign, claiming victimhood.

The controversy began when video surfaced over the weekend showing two young men and a waitress holding a sign reading “Fuck the Jews” inside Portnoy’s Barstool Sports Bar.

The image quickly went viral, drawing widespread condemnation.

"I’ve been shaking. I’ve been so fucking mad for the last two hours," Portnoy said in an emotional video posted shortly after learning of the incident. "I’m going to make it my life’s fucking mission to ruin these people. I’m coming for your throat. I’m never ending."

Portnoy initially responded by firing two waitresses involved in the incident—one of whom he called a "total idiot" — and identifying the two male customers.

But in a follow-up video, he softened his approach, framing the scandal as a potential learning opportunity.

“I talked to both the culprits who I know are super involved in it, talked to the families. I’m sending these kids to Auschwitz,” he said. “They’re gonna do a tour of the concentration camps [in Poland]. Hopefully learn something... To me, that’s a fair outcome of this event.”

The plan, which Portnoy said was coordinated in part with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, was widely praised by public figures.

Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick tweeted, “Good on @stoolpresidente… We can’t look the other way at antisemitism. It needs to be identified, called out, and crushed whenever it rears its ugly head.”

Actor Ben Stiller also voiced support.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino weighed in, writing, "Everyone needs to call out antisemitism when they see it. Thank you @stoolpresidente for doing the real work to ensure change."

However, Portnoy's response quickly turned as one of the young men, identified as Temple University student Mo Khan, denied involvement and said he had been acting as a "citizen journalist."

In a now-deleted Instagram statement, Khan said, "I abhor hate in all its forms... I was raised to respect and be amicable with all people... I hope to help create a safer space for everyone."

Portnoy called the statement “a lie” and said Khan had already admitted guilt privately.

"This dude is a flat liar. I talked to him on the phone with his buddy and they both owned up to it and cried about it. He then lawyered up after speaking with his family," Portnoy wrote on X. "He already went viral without me. He spreads hate and uses the conflict in the Middle East as his excuse. And did it in a bar with my company’s name on it.”

Portnoy also criticized Khan for launching a GiveSendGo campaign asking for $25,000, claiming he had been unfairly targeted.

"Dave is twice my age and a well-connected multi-millionaire," Khan wrote on his fundraiser page. "This asymmetric power dynamic is the reason why I previously made statements to Dave that do not accurately reflect what actually happened… I made those statements under extreme duress and threats to destroy me and my parents."

The fundraiser, which surpassed $15,594 as of Thursday, prompted further scrutiny after Khan appeared on "Stew Peters Live," a program that become popular for exposing dangerous COVID-19 propaganda but morphed into with the host, Peters, regularly condemning Jews, Israel and black people.

During the interview, Khan justified the banner as commentary on the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza and agreed with Peters that Americans should "become tribal against Jewish supremacy."

"It was clearly provocative, because it reminds people of what Israel’s actions are doing across the country," Khan said. "So I recorded it, uploaded it, didn’t expect much backlash."

Khan also claimed that his First Amendment rights were being violated. However, legal experts noted, that Barstool Sports and Temple University are private entities not bound by the same restrictions on free speech as the government.

Temple University confirmed Wednesday that Khan had been suspended, and on Wednesday said a second student had also been suspended.

Temple President John Fry condemned Khan’s appearance on the Stew Peters show.

"The content of this interview was both appalling and deeply offensive. Antisemitism is not tolerated at Temple," Fry said, adding that students found in violation of the conduct code could face expulsion.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia police have confirmed an ongoing investigation but reported no charges as of Wednesday.

Portnoy’s response and the public fallout come amid a broader national reckoning over rising antisemitism, especially on college campuses and in political discourse.

The Trump administration spearheaded a federal crackdown on campus antisemitism beginning in 2019, directing the Department of Education to investigate institutions such as Harvard and Columbia for alleged failure to protect Jewish students.

The move was based on a reinterpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which the administration applied to shield Jews as an ethnic group.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has polarized the debate. Increasingly, criticism of Israel has been used both as cover for open antisemitism and as a lightning rod for speech-based controversies, complicating efforts to distinguish between valid political dissent and hate speech.

Portnoy, long branded as anti-cancel culture, now finds himself at the center of this fraught conversation.

His initial fury was widely lauded, but his attempt at a reconciliatory gesture sparked accusations from both sides—some accusing him of platforming hate, others of betraying his own brand by "canceling" a college student.