Waitress Who Kicked Out Racist CEO for Attacking Asian Family Sets an Example

July 9, 2020

The waitress who kicked out an intoxicated guest for launching a racist tirade at an Asian American family has spoken out about the incident, calling others to action in the event they find themselves in a similar situation.

What happened: On July 4, a drunk guest spewed racist remarks toward a Filipino American family at Bernardus Lodge & Spa in Carmel Valley, California.

The incident was caught on video by Jordan Chan, who then posted it on Instagram where it has now gone viral.
In the video, the drunk guest can be seen giving the Orosa-Chan family the middle finger and hurling racist abuse at them.
He tells the family: “F*ck you Asians,” “You don’t belong here” and “Go back to whatever f*cking Asian country you’re from.”
A waitress then stepped in to kick out the guest, telling him, “You do not talk to our guests like that, they are valued guests, you are not allowed here ever again!”
Social media users identified the problematic guest as Michael Lofthouse, chief executive officer of Solid8, a tech company based in San Francisco.
Lofthouse has since apologized for the incident: “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.”

‘Do Something’: Days after the incident, Gennica Cochran, the waitress who intervened, shared her side of the story and slammed Lofthouse’s apology.

Cochran has been working in the hospitality industry for 20 years while teaching yoga for 10 years.
“I’m not a mother, but I felt almost maternal,” she told ABC 7. “I will take care of them and I will do whatever I can to protect these people. To have someone hate you just because of the way that you look, that’s beyond me. I don’t understand it.”
Cochran left a message for the family: “I love you. I’ve got your back always. I will always speak up for you and please come back to Bernardus, I’d love to buy you a drink. And please just know that those words are not the values of the people that live here on the Monterey Peninsula.”
She also urged people to take action: “If you see something do something. Stand up against racism and hatred in any form any time you can.”
Cochran’s heroic response spawned three GoFundMe pages (1, 2, 3) on her behalf, which have so far received an accumulated total of $48,500.
Meanwhile, social media users have launched a petition to get Lofthouse removed from his position at Solid8, but it’s unclear if it would be possible since he is also the company’s founder.

Feature Images (left) via @jordanlizchan, (right) ABC7 News Bay Area

Share this Article