It started with a craving for pierogies. Specifically, the kind that Alan Dershowitz says remind him of his grandmother. But when the famed Harvard Law professor emeritus walked up to the Good Pierogi stand at the West Tisbury Farmers Market on Martha’s Vineyard in late July 2025, he didn't leave with a bag of dumplings. He left with a viral controversy and a plan to sue.
If you’ve followed the social life of the Vineyard over the last decade, you know this isn't exactly a new vibe. The island has become a sort of high-stakes battlefield for Dershowitz. He’s been yelled at by Larry David outside the Chilmark General Store. He’s fought with the local library over speaking slots. He basically treats the island like a courtroom where the jury is composed of vacationing elites who really, really wish he’d just go to a different beach.
But the Alan Dershowitz farmers market incident feels different. It wasn't just a snub at a cocktail party. It was a literal denial of service over politics. Or at least, that’s how Dershowitz tells it.
The Confrontation at the Pierogi Stand
On July 30, 2025, Dershowitz approached the booth. He says he wanted a half-dozen pierogies. According to him, the vendor—Krem Miskevich—looked at him and flatly refused to do business. The reason? "I don't approve of your politics. I don't approve of who you've represented. I don't approve of who you support."
Dershowitz wasn't just wearing any old T-shirt that day. He was sporting a shirt that read "Proud American Zionist." Kinda bold for a Wednesday morning grocery run, but that’s the Dershowitz brand. He immediately pulled out his phone. He started filming. He called the police. Yes, the police were actually called to a farmers market because a man couldn't buy potato dumplings. When the officer arrived, the scene was peak Martha's Vineyard: a world-famous constitutional lawyer arguing with a pierogi vendor while people in linen shirts tried to buy organic kale in the background.
The officer basically told Dershowitz that a private business has the right to refuse service. Dershowitz, predictably, disagreed. He argued that the market is a "place of public accommodation" and that you can't discriminate based on religion or politics.
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Is it About Zionism or Jeffrey Epstein?
This is where things get messy. Honestly, the two sides aren't even living in the same reality.
Dershowitz claims he was targeted because he is a Zionist. He believes the vendor’s refusal was a form of antisemitism. He even went back the following week—August 6—with a book titled The Ten Big Anti-Israel Lies to try and "educate" the vendor. He stood in line, waited his turn, and tried to force a transaction to prove a point.
The crowd didn't love it. People started chanting "Time to go!"
The vendor, Krem Miskevich, eventually put out a statement on Instagram to clear the air. They basically said: Look, this isn't about him being Jewish or a Zionist. I'm Jewish myself. According to the vendor, the refusal was about Dershowitz’s history of defending men accused of sexual abuse, specifically mentioning Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. For the vendor, selling food is a "labor of love," and they didn't want their labor supporting someone who defends people they find morally reprehensible.
The Legal Reality (It’s Not Great for Alan)
Dershowitz is threatening a massive lawsuit against the West Tisbury Farmers Market. He wants the market to change its bylaws to force every vendor to serve every customer, regardless of political views.
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But does he have a case? Most legal experts say: Probably not.
In Massachusetts, "public accommodation" laws protect you from discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, or sexual orientation. Political affiliation is not a protected class. If the vendor refused him because he's Jewish, Dershowitz wins. If they refused him because he defended Donald Trump or Jeffrey Epstein, the vendor is likely within their rights. It’s the same logic that allows a baker to refuse a cake for a political rally they don't like—a concept Dershowitz has actually defended in other contexts. The irony isn't lost on the island locals.
Why Martha’s Vineyard is Fed Up
You have to understand the context here. For years, Dershowitz has been complaining that he's being "shunned." He’s compared his treatment on the island to McCarthyism.
- The Larry David Incident: David famously screamed at him in 2021, calling him "disgusting" for his ties to the Trump administration.
- The Library Spat: He threatened to sue the Chilmark Library because they didn't invite him to give a book talk, claiming "censorship." The library pointed out he just asked too late in the season.
- The Synagogue Drama: He’s claimed he’s been blacklisted from speaking at local Jewish centers.
To his neighbors, he’s the boy who cried "Constitutional Crisis." To Dershowitz, he’s a lonely defender of civil liberties being bullied by a "woke" mob.
The farmers market incident just took it to a weirdly granular level. It’s one thing to not be invited to a dinner party at a billionaire's estate; it’s another thing to be told your money isn't good for a $12 plate of dumplings.
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What This Means for the "Right to Refuse Service"
This case actually touches on a growing divide in American law. We’ve seen it with wedding cakes and websites. Now we're seeing it with pierogies.
If Dershowitz actually files this lawsuit, it could force a conversation about whether "political discrimination" should be illegal. Some states are already looking at this. But for now, the West Tisbury Farmers Market is standing by its vendors. They’ve suggested they might update their bylaws to prevent "disruptive behavior," which seems like a subtle way of telling everyone—including Alan—to keep the drama out of the Agricultural Hall.
Actionable Takeaways from the Pierogi Saga
If you find yourself in a heated political argument at a local market, here is how the law actually shakes out:
- Private vs. Public: A farmers market is often on private or leased land. Vendors generally have broad discretion over who they sell to, provided they aren't targeting a protected group (race, religion, etc.).
- Record Everything: Dershowitz was right to film, even if it looked cringey. If you feel you're being discriminated against, video evidence is the only way to prove what was actually said.
- Know Your Local Laws: "Political belief" is only a protected class in a few places (like Washington D.C. or certain parts of California). In Massachusetts, it's not.
- The "Marketplace of Ideas" is Literal: If people don't like your public associations, they can choose not to associate with you. That's the social contract.
You can check the official West Tisbury Farmers Market website for their updated code of conduct if you're planning a visit this summer. Just maybe leave the political manifestos at home if you're really hungry for dumplings.