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A recent fundraising initiative on the crowd-sourcing platform GiveSendGo has successfully amassed over $15,000 for a Temple University student engaged in a public dispute with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. The student, Mo Khan, has sparked national controversy following accusations from Portnoy regarding a video he shared that allegedly features a waitress at the Barstool Sansom Street bar displaying an offensive sign.
The sign in question read “F— the Jews”. In a response to the incident, Portnoy had proposed sending Khan on a trip to Auschwitz in order to educate him about the Holocaust, which Khan declined. Instead, the 21-year-old is focusing on raising funds for his legal defense.
On social media platform X, Khan shared a video promoting his fundraiser, which quickly drew scrutiny and received a community note after Portnoy disputed his version of events. This has led GiveSendGo co-founder Jacob Wells to announce that the company plans to investigate the validity of the fundraising campaign.
“We want to ensure that all campaigns maintain a high level of truthfulness. Therefore, we take reports of disputes very seriously,” Wells stated in an interview. He acknowledged that he was previously unaware of Portnoy’s objections and the community note attached to Khan’s post.
Wells elaborated, “While it is not our main responsibility to fact-check every campaign to the smallest detail, we strive to maintain a balance between oversight and user autonomy. Nevertheless, we are committed to performing our verification process and will thoroughly evaluate Khan’s campaign like any other.”
He further mentioned that if it turns out Khan misrepresented key events related to the fundraiser, it could lead to the campaign’s removal from the platform. “It’s difficult to speculate on every scenario, but if there is clear evidence of falsehoods in campaign narratives, it would likely violate our terms of service, warranting serious consideration for removal,” said Wells.
Khan maintains that he was not involved in the sign being brought to the bar, framing his actions as merely reporting on the incident. During his video rant, Khan expressed anti-Israel sentiments, claiming, “Although I had nothing to do with the sign coming out, I know it was provocative. It reminds many people of the injustices that Israel is perpetrating globally, which is why I chose to report on it.” He also stated, “Israel kills thousands of people on a daily basis!”
In response to Khan’s video, Portnoy publicly labeled him a liar, claiming, “This dude is a flat liar. I talked to him on the phone with his buddy, and they both confessed to it during a conversation. He then sought legal counsel after discussing the situation with his family.”
Khan has since taken to X to counter Portnoy’s assertions, denying the claim that he has retained a lawyer and asserting he did not cry during their conversation.
A community note on Khan’s post indicated a discrepancy in his narrative. It highlighted, “The details presented are significantly different from those he initially reported to Dave Portnoy, leading to accusations of him being a ‘liar.’” This note included links to Portnoy’s response as well as a New York Post article covering the incident.
Adding to the intrigue, a new community note has emerged, detailing a concerning history involving Khan and allegations of antisemitic incidents, such as reports of him throwing quarters at Jewish students at Temple University. This new information references an NBC Philadelphia report related to the incident, although it does not elaborate on Khan’s history.
Moreover, the fresh community note discloses that Khan participated in an interview on a podcast hosted by Stew Peters, who is known for promoting antisemitic viewpoints, including operating a website hostile to Jewish people.
The president of Temple University, John Fry, expressed disapproval of Khan’s interview during a public statement. Fry said, “Yesterday, we learned that a student took part in an interview with an individual notorious for producing extreme antisemitic and racist content. The material presented in this interview was both appalling and profoundly offensive. Temple University does not tolerate antisemitism.”
In light of the ongoing controversy, Temple University has confirmed that two students have been suspended as part of their investigation into the matter. Khan has claimed to be among those suspended by the university.
Currently, Khan faces no criminal charges. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Police Department is actively gathering information pertinent to the incident that has captivated significant media attention throughout the week.
Stay informed on the latest developments in this story and other related coverage in the realm of sports and society.
