A California restaurant employee is getting a hefty tip for shutting down a tech CEO's racist comments against an Asian family.
The man, identified by media outlets as Michael Lofthouse, CEO of San Francisco-based cloud computing firm Solid8. Lofthouse was seen on the Instagram video giving the Asian family the middle finger and shouting at them saying, "Trump's gonna f--- you. You f------ need to leave."
A server at Carmel Valley restaurant Lucia ordered Lofthouse not to talk to their guests like that, but he responded: "F-ing Asian piece of shit." The waitress repeatedly shouts at Lofthouse to leave.
According to Jordan Chan who posted the video on Instagram, the verbal attack happened on Saturday, July 4, when they were dining at Lucia Restaurant & Bar in Monterey County and sang "Happy Birthday" for her aunt. However, Lofthouse told the Filipino family to "go back to whatever f-ing Asian country you're from."
The server is identified as Gennica Cochran whose quick defense for the family has drawn numerous commendations and admiring comments.
The video of the incident has already been viewed over 800,000 times on Instagram while a Twitter video of the incident has nearly 6 million views.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the restaurant has "received letters and flowers from people" who praised Cochran's swift actions in the viral video.
"It's been unbelievable, the outpouring of support," Hamblin told the news outlet.
Bernardus Lodge and Spa vice president and general manager Sean Damery wrote in an email how proud they are with their employee who upheld Bernardus Lodge's core values and escorted Lofthouse out of the property without further escalation.
Lofthouse has since apologized for "appalling" behavior in a statement sent to a local ABC affiliate on Tuesday, July 7.
GoFundMe tips for the brave restaurant staff
Raymond Orosa who was in the restaurant to celebrate his wife's birthday when the attack happened said he was glad the Cochran stepped in.
"I was very impressed with how she handled it and what was important to her," he said adding that people should stand up against racism. Orosa, who has been staying in Northridge, California for 26 years with his wife, told CBS Los Angeles he has never experienced such amount of hate.
On Tuesday, July 7, Jeremy Stephens started a fundraiser on behalf of Cochran. A GoFundMe page titled "A Big Tip for an Everyday Hero" was set up to raise $1,000 for Cochran. Stephens said he contacted Cochran to get her email and approval to be the designated beneficiary.
As of this writing, the fundraiser has generated more than $33,000 from over 1,400 donors. The organizer said he contacted Cochran so she could agree to give her email to be designated as the beneficiary.
The fundraiser will give 100% of the proceeds directly to Cochran in appreciation for "the everyday heroes" who make the world a better place for those dealing with racism on daily lives.
View this post on Instagram️️️SHARE THIS POST️️️ Trigger warning: Racism, Vulgar Language (FYI he had a LOT more to say after I stopped recording) This is the face of the man who relentlessly harassed my family and I completely UNPROVOKED, UNWARRANTED, and UNCONSCIONABLE. 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. (“Fuck you Asians” “Go back to whatever fucking Asian country you’re from” “You don’t belong here”) It is no coincidence that this man has the audacity to showcase such blatant racism on the 4th of July. White supremacy has a notorious habit of masquerading as patriotism! The fact that Donald Trump is our president (i.e. THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD) gives racists a platform and amplifies voices of hate. The surfacing of racists is so prevalent right now, even in such an ethnically/culturally diverse and liberal state like California, because Trump HIMSELF uses his position to incite racial tension and to promote aggression towards POC, foreigners, and immigrants. We need change! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VOTE THIS UPCOMING RE-ELECTION. PROTECT ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF SKIN COLOR AND ETHNIC ORIGIN. A post shared by @ jordanlizchan on Jul 5, 2020 at 3:02pm PDT
Read also: British Tech CEO Apologizes After Video Captures His Racist Comments Against Asian Family Went Viral
