A white man was caught on camera going on a racist tirade over the weekend before he was kicked out and banned for life from an upscale restaurant in coastal Northern California, managers said Tuesday.
The ugly incident happened Saturday night at Lucia, a restaurant at Bernardus Lodge & Spa in Carmel Valley, as a family was celebrating an aunt's birthday when the man started hurling anti-Asian insults.
It's unclear what happened before the video was recorded, but the man is seen in the footage making an obscene gesture to the family, then yelling obscenities that include "F--- you Asians," "You f---ing Asian piece of s---," and "Trump's gonna f--- you."
A staff member of the lodge is then seen intervening, telling the man he has to leave. "You are not allowed. You do not talk to our guests like that. They are our valued guests," said the employee through a face mask.
The man was identified by the Bernardus Lodge & Spa as Michael Lofthouse, who is CEO of Bay Area tech company Solid8.
In a statement to NBC News, Lofthouse apologized to the family for his behavior, calling it “appalling.”
“This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments,” Lofthouse said. “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 California tech executive Lofthouse is now banned from the establishment, according to Koleen Hamblin, a spokeswoman for the lodge.
“This is an extremely unfortunate situation, however we are proud of our staff at Lucia in keeping with Bernardus Lodge’s core values," Sean Damery, vice president and general manager of Bernardus, said in a statement.
"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.”
Hamblin praised the waitress who confronted the man.
"Our wait staff stepped up and as you saw," Hamblin said. "She had one second to think and she did the right thing and he was escorted off the premises."
