A pro-life leader says she was thrown out of an Idaho coffee shop by an owner who compared her group to the Ku Klux Klan — then claimed he faced death threats for refusing to serve them.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said she and her teenage son had gathered 10-15 pro-life advocates at Wydaho Roasters in Driggs, Idaho, to organize against an upcoming abortion-rights ballot initiative. The group bought food and drinks. Then owner Jim Sheehan demanded they leave.
Video of the confrontation shows Sheehan declaring, “Everybody is welcome, but I said I don’t want this group meeting here.” He told them to meet at a public library instead.
“Did I make it very clear that I did not want you here? I did a lot of work to get people on the ballot … so women would have the right to choose in the state of Idaho, and this is something I do not support, nor does my wife, and it’s our business. So we have that choice. If the KKK asked me to meet here, I would say no.”
When Hawkins pressed him on whether he believes pro-lifers are like the Klan, Sheehan answered: “In my world, it’s the same — it’s the same sort of concept.”
Hawkins fired back on social media, pointing out the irony of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger’s documented ties to the KKK.
Wydaho Roasters Coffee House just kicked out our@Campaign4AFC group, led by my 16-year-old son, Bear. They compared US to the KKK… even though Planned Parenthood’s founder, Margaret Sanger, spoke for the KKK.
We paid for our food. We weren’t protesting or disrupting anyone.… pic.twitter.com/LUu81WsSr5
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) August 18, 2026
“We paid for our food. We weren’t protesting or disrupting anyone. We were simply sitting together having a peaceful conversation. We were kicked out because we’re pro-life and work to protect babies,” Hawkins wrote.
She revealed on The Charlie Kirk Show that the shop displays an “EVERYONE WELCOME” sign right outside its front door.
Sheehan told Fox News he had tried to stop the gathering a day earlier by commenting on a Facebook post asking the group not to use his business.
“Sunday she announced on a local community page they were holding this meeting at our business, naming it — I responded to the post politely asking them not to use our business as the agenda of the organization does not align with us. They showed up anyway.”
Since the video went viral, Sheehan said he and his wife have faced “nonstop death threats,” forcing them to shut off their phones and leave social media.
Standing behind his decision, Sheehan emphasized that his cafe embraces progressive values — displaying a Pride flag and hosting LGBT+ events — and maintained his right as a private owner to reject groups with opposing views.
“It’s not a surprise where my stance is on something like that. This is one of those black-and-white issues for me.”
According to Students for Life, Sheehan didn’t just ask them to leave. He cranked up the café’s speakers to blare music over their conversation, driving the pro-life organizers out the door.
The clash has ignited debate over free speech, business rights, and whether a coffee shop owner can refuse service based on customers’ political beliefs.
Bear and I started a pro-life group here in Teton Valley. Tonight was our first meeting — 10-15 of us gathering for the first time, talking about how to keep Idaho abortion-free and how to educate our neighbors before the late-term abortion ballot referendum goes before voters on… pic.twitter.com/NWvveVDWUh
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) August 17, 2026
