BEACH HAVEN — The Marlin Restaurant & Bar has been offering teen nights since 1989 but now local officials want the decades-long tradition gone because of “unruly teens.”

A federal judge decided not to take up the lawsuit the Marlin filed against Beach Haven. Now they wait for a ruling from Ocean County Superior Court, NJ.com reports.

An ordinance went into effect earlier this year, which caused the establishment to cancel its June 30 teen night that happens multiple times a month.

Since then, they have found ways to get around the ordinance with an alcohol-free event open to everyone.

The Instagram account “Marlin Teen Night” still exists but posts this month mention the events are for “all ages.”

The bar’s owner, Michael Battista, spoke with Steve Trevelise Monday night on New Jersey 101.5. He described the situation as "the worst part of politics," but didn't specify what that meant. The owner agreed there is a teenager problem but that it's not exclusive to the Beach Haven area. Battista argued his businesses provided a supervised option, which didn't add to the problem.

During a council meeting in May, the police chief said it was an issue of “manpower” for the department, according to NJ.com.

Proposed amendments to the ordinance, which can be found here, will be voted on by the council on Aug. 12.

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