'Trump's Gonna F*** You': Tech Start-Up CEO Kicked Out of Restaurant for Racist Abuse of Diners

A tech start-up CEO was filmed hurling racist abuse at an Asian-American family dining at a restaurant in Carmel Valley, California, on July 4.

A member of staff at the Lucia restaurant demanded Michael Lofthouse, CEO of the cloud computing start-up Solid8, leave immediately after the outburst.

Jordan Chan, who shot this footage, told Storyful her family was enjoying a birthday dinner for her aunt when Lofthouse reportedly began his tirade. Chan’s video does not capture the interaction that led up to the incident.

Lofthouse acknowledged the incident, releasing a statement to local media apologizing for his “appalling” behavior.

“Trump’s gonna f**k you,” Lofthouse says in this video, after making a crude gesture. “You need to leave… f***ing Asian piece of s***.” The video has been edited to remove profanity.

A staff member, named by the media as Gennica Cochran, a waitress, immediately confronts Lofthouse, telling him to “get outta here” and saying that he is “not allowed here.” When Lofthouse asks: “Who are these f***ers?,” she calls Chan’s family “valued guests.”

“Oh are they?” he retorts. “Yeah, they’re valued guests in America.”

In a July 4 post on the Bernardus Lodge & Spa Facebook page, where the Lucia restaurant is located, people posted their support for the Cochran’s handling of the situation.

In his statement, Lofthouse wrote: “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.”

Update: Since the publication of this story, Lofthouse has resigned from his role with Solid8, releasing a statement to confirm this on July 11. Credit: Jordan Chan via Storyful