The British CEO who was caught on video hurling racist abuse at an Asian family at a California restaurant has resigned and cut all business ties with his San Francisco-based tech company Solid8.
Michael Lofthouse, 37, explained that he resigned from his position following his racist tirade where he said ‘you f***ing Asian piece of s**t’ at Jordan Chan and her family celebrating a birthday at Bernardus Lodge and Spa’s Lucia restaurant in Carmel Valley on July 4.
He revealed he will enroll in an anti-racist program ‘with immediate effect’.
‘It is with regret that my initial statement and apology did not go far enough in addressing my behavior in Carmel last weekend and the steps that I need to take. I can confirm that I have stepped down from Solid8, terminating all business relationships with immediate effect,’ he said.
Michael Lofthouse, the British founder of tech company Solid8, issued a statement Saturday saying he has resigned as CEO and cut all business times with the company. He also said he’d enroll in an anti-racist program immediately after he was caught on video (left) hurling racist abuse at an Asian family in a California restaurant
Jordan Chan (back left) posted the footage on Instagram. The family were celebrating the birthday of Jenny’s aunt Mari Orosa (back right with Mari’s husband Raymond front right) on July 4 at Bernardus Lodge and Spa’s Lucia restaurant in Carmel Valley when Lofthouse attacked them with racist comments
He said he stepped down to prevent ‘detrimental impact on those people closest to me’ – particularly his co-workers at his cloud tech services firm.
‘I have once again begun my journey back to sobriety and have enrolled in an anti-racist program with immediate effect,’ Lofthouse said in a statement to Fox News on Saturday.
‘My comments towards the families involved were racist, hurtful and deeply inappropriate. The reactions to what was said have been deserved and I wholeheartedly acknowledge that I am complicit in a system that enables this behavior and these broken beliefs to exist but I am dedicated to changing,’ he added.
He pleaded for the Chan and Orosa families to accept his apology.
‘To the Chan and Orosa families, Gennica Cochran and the restaurant Bernardus please accept my heartfelt and sincere apologies, I hope that the conversations and awareness that this incident has created can act as a catalyst for necessary change,’ he said.
‘It is my commitment to you to overcome my issues and be part of the solution for an equal and compassionate future.’
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Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
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