A university student in the United States, arrested for directing a torrent of antisemitic abuse at Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, has seen a substantial legal defence fund amass on his behalf, sparking a fierce debate about free speech and hate crime.
The Confrontation and Arrest
The incident occurred on Monday, November 10, 2025, outside Boardtown Pizza & Pints in Starkville, Mississippi. Dave Portnoy, who is Jewish, was in town to attend a Mississippi State football game and was filming one of his famous pizza reviews when he was accosted by 20-year-old Patrick McClintock.
In a video that quickly circulated online, McClintock is seen and heard shouting, 'Hey, f*** the Jews. F*** you, Dave Portnoy. F*** you. Get out of Starkville.' The student also allegedly threw coins at the media personality. Following the altercation, local police arrested McClintock and charged him with disturbing the peace.
A Contentious Legal Defence Fund
In the days following the arrest, a fundraiser was established for McClintock on the platform GiveSendGo. The campaign framed the student as 'a 20-year-old American patriot' and a victim of a 'double standard' within the First Amendment, which guarantees free speech in the US.
The fundraiser's description argued, 'No fists. No weapons. Just hurty words that triggered Dave Portnoy into dialing 911.' It further employed antisemitic tropes, stating, 'This is peak smallhat fragility - turn any insult into “hate speech,” cry victim, and watch the goyim get locked up.' Despite—or perhaps because of—this rhetoric, the campaign proved remarkably successful, raising a whopping $37,000 by Thursday evening.
Wider Fallout and Reactions
The event has ignited a broader conversation about rising antisemitism. On Instagram, Portnoy expressed his fury, posting, 'Imagine hating somebody just because of their religion in this f**king country.' He has previously been critical of campus protests relating to Israel and has been targeted in similar antisemitic attacks in Toronto and Philadelphia.
Mississippi State University was quick to distance itself from the student's actions. A spokesperson, Sid Salter, told NBC News that the video 'didn’t reflect the culture and values of our university.'
Meanwhile, the non-profit organisation Endjewhatred criticised the police's response on Facebook, arguing that the same hatred directed at any other minority would have resulted in an immediate hate crime charge. They demanded 'equal consequences... against all bigots and Jew-haters.'
For its part, the Starkville Police Department released a statement defending its actions: 'Every person has the right to feel safe and respected in our community. Offensive speech may be protected, but actions that risk harm are not. When actions cross the line from expression to disruption or threaten peace and safety, we will respond.'
