A waitress in Carmel Valley, California, who threw out a racist harassing an Asian family last month, has received over $70,000 in tips from well-wishers after a GoFundMe page was set up on her behalf.
Jennica Cochran, who works at the Lucia Restaurant stepped in when British tech CEO Michael Lofthouse began harassing them over the CoVid-19 pandemic. She then promptly defended the family and had Lofthouse leave. The incident, which was videoed, quickly went viral online with thousands applauding the actions of the waitress.
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Jordan Chan was celebrating a family birthday at the restaurant when the unprovoked verbal attacked happened. She later recounted her story to a news crew. She said:
"We were singing happy birthday. We were just taking pictures and goofing around with each other, and then all of a sudden, the man, Michael Lofthouse, starts making really loud racist remarks at us."
In the video Lofthouse can be heard saying:
"Trump's gonna f*** you. You f****** need to leave! You f****** Asian piece of s***!"
Cochran loudly responded to the guest, who appeared inebriated:
"You need to leave right now. Get out, you are not allowed here, get out now. You do not talk to our guests like that, they are valued guests, you are not allowed here ever again!"
Cochrane told news channel ABC7:
"To hear the emotion coming out of my voice, to see my mannerisms, it was unbelievable it was just something that came over me and I just did what needed to be done. I did what anybody else should or would do in that situation. I felt very protective of them. You don't come in here and say those kinds of things to people. Especially people feel so raw coming out of quarantine. Most of these people this is the first time that they've been out to dinner and then you have someone attacking them it was just no, no, I don't have time for this. I'm not a mother, but I felt almost maternal. Right, like this is my family and 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."
The CEO later apologised and in a statement, again to ABC7 news, said:
"My behaviour 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 apologise 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."
The family have however refused to accept his apology.
Shortly after the video begins, Cochran steps in and demands that the man leave the restaurant, saying, rather ironically, the man was later identified as British tech CEO.
"I've dealt with racism before but never on that scale," Chan told KPIX 5.
"Never on the level where somebody completely unprovoked felt obligated to voice their hatred for absolutely no reason."
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