San Francisco tech CEO Michael Lofthouse issued an apology to an Asian American family after going on a racially charged tirade at a restaurant in Carmel Valley.
Lofthouse, who founded cloud-computing firm Solid8, said his behavior toward the Chan family over the weekend was “appalling” after a video showing him yelling at the family and subsequently being kicked out of the restaurant went viral.
“This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments,” he said in a statement. “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.”
Jordan Chan, who filmed and posted the video, told KION that the incident occurred while her family was celebrating her aunt’s birthday on the Fourth of July. Chan said Lofthouse insulted her family by using racist language and telling them to go back to where they came from.
In the video, Lofthouse can be seen extending his middle finger toward the family and saying, “Trump’s gonna f— you,” followed by “You need to f—ing leave, you Asian piece of shit.” A server then came by and demanded that he leave and never return to the restaurant.
Raymond Orosa, the uncle of Jordan Chan, told ABC 7 of San Francisco that he didn’t feel Lofthouse’s apology was genuine.
“He’s just saving face,” Orosa said. “I think he really meant what he said and what he did.”
Orosa also said he and his wife have lived in the United States for almost 26 years and have never experienced racism until the encounter with Lofthouse. He added that he hopes others won’t have to experience anything similar in the future.
“I can’t say what he did was acceptable or right. It isn’t. … A lot of people will probably disagree with me for saying I forgive him … but I do,” he said.
