A coffee vendor at Boise State University in Idaho was forced to leave campus after students were offended by their support for the Thin Blue Line, an organization that works with police non-profits.
Members of the Boise State University student government argued that keeping the coffee vendor on campus would send a “poor message” to black students.
Sarah Fendley, the owner of Big City Coffee, began working with police non-profits after her former police officer partner was shot and paralyzed during an altercation with an escaped prisoner.
After students discovered Fendley’s relationship with police non-profit organizations, they immediately began to call on the university to cut ties with her business. During a student government meeting, one student argued Fendley’s business could make the campus a “dangerous place.”
“We are supporting an organization that blatantly supports the Thin Blue Line and every Black person I know has stories of being treated unfairly at this place. I believe that they should have never been brought to campus and if it can be reversed it should be. Not reversing it sends a statement across campus. There should be more marginalized student voices on this. You need to find a way to cancel this contract because every marginalized student knows about this affiliation and that it is a dangerous place.”
Fendley ultimately decided to leave campus due to the amount of pressure. In a Facebook post, Fendley pushed back against the students and explained why she finds it important to support organizations like the Thin Blue Line.
“…if you want to know why I support first responders ask me … I’ll tell you and if your lucky you might get to meet my hero,” Fendley wrote. “He has extensive nerve damage and debilitating pain but he manages to smile through most of it and I love him. He never hesitated that day and he would do it again. We are lucky to have such great police, fire and EMS in our community. I support them because they support us.”