An Ohio realtor has been let go by her employer after writing “I hope Trump deports you” on a Mexican restaurant receipt. On Sunday, March 2, Stephanie Lovins dined at Cazuelas Mexican Cantina in Columbus, Ohio. She was served by Ricardo, a US citizen working two jobs to support his family, reported The Daily Dot.
However, before leaving the establishment, Lovins left a hate-filled message instead of a tip for Ricardo. “I hope Trump deports you,” she wrote on the restaurant receipt. In the space where she could add a tip, the Ohio realtor wrote: “Zero. You suck!”
A picture of the hateful message was shared on Facebook by another server and quickly went viral on social media.
Outrage on social media
{{/usCountry}}A picture of the hateful message was shared on Facebook by another server and quickly went viral on social media.
Outrage on social media
{{/usCountry}}The post drew massive outrage on social media as thousands of people rallied behind Ricardo. The head of marketing at the restaurant told NBC4 in Columbus, Ohio, that Ricardo worked at the restaurant only on Sundays. On March 2, he served Lovins, who was reportedly upset about a ‘one coupon per table’ rule.
Lovins’ racist message, coming at a time when the immigration issue is in the spotlight, drew condemnation from thousands. The realtor tried to claim that her card had been stolen, but the story did not hold water.
“This is just another display of how politics emboldens & empowers people. Though I’m not sure how you can fire a realtor when they are licensed, basically making them an independent contractor so unless they also revoked her licenses she can still work selling houses,” an X user wrote.
“So hateful and stupid. Why would she let someone serve her then treat them like trash,” another person opined.
Century 21 cuts ties
Internet sleuths dug up Stephanie Lovins’ employment details and contacted Century 21, the real estate company where she worked.
The company confirmed to NBC4 that Lovins no longer works with them.
“We are aware of the situation with the agent in question. Hate has no place within the CENTURY 21 brand, and we are taking this very seriously. After investigating the situation and connecting with the respective broker, as all companies affiliated with the CENTURY 21 brand are independently owned and operated, we can confirm that this agent is no longer affiliated with the brand,” Century 21 told NBC4 in a statement.
The condemnation for Lovins was accompanied by solidarity for Ricardo, the server. According to his colleague Isabel Nathalie, who first posted the picture of the receipt on Facebook, Ricardo works seven days a week and has a disability in one arm.
A GoFundMe campaign titled “Tip Ricardo: Because Hate Has No Place Here” has been launched to raise funds for him.