San Francisco Tech CEO Goes on Disgraceful Racist Rant in Restaurant
Unfortunately, while the recent protests in the United States have sparked nationwide calls for racial equality, they haven’t stopped racist incidents like this one from occurring on a daily basis. This video, taken at Lucia Restaurant & Bar in Carmel Valley, CA, on July 4, shows a man yelling profanities at a family.
The man, Michael Lofthouse, is the CEO of tech company Solid8. Lofthouse uttered several derogatory remarks directed at the family, some of which were not captured on video. According to Jordan Chan, who recorded the incident and posted it on Instagram, “We were celebrating my tita’s birthday, literally just singing happy birthday to her and taking pictures, when this white supremacist starts yelling disgusting racist remarks at us.”
Following the incident, a server at the restaurant ordered Lofthouse to leave, saying, “Get out. You are not allowed here. You do not talk to our guests like that.”
Sean Damery, vice president and general manager of the Bernardus Lodge & Spa, where the restaurant is located, said, “This is an extremely unfortunate situation, however we are proud of our staff at Lucia in keeping with Bernardus Lodge’s core values; this incident was handled swiftly and the diner was escorted off property without further escalation. We provide guests with a safe environment for lodging and dining, and extend our sincere apologies to the guests enjoying a birthday celebration on a holiday weekend.”
After the incident, Lofthouse issued the following statement: “My behavior in the video is appalling. This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments. I would like to deeply apologize to the Chan family. I can only imagine the stress and pain they feel. I was taught to respect people of all races, and I will take the time to reflect on my actions and work to better understand the inequality that so many of those around me face every day.”