Fischer apologizes to women in mall video
Justin SayersA racist, expletive-laced tirade aimed at two Hispanic women shopping in Jefferson Mall has sparked apologies from Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and other community leaders after the viral video seen by millions around the world.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, along with other community leaders, apologized on Wednesday to two Hispanic women who were the victims of a racist, expletive-laced tirade in a store at Jefferson Mall.
The video, shared publicly on Facebook and YouTube Tuesday evening, shows a white woman berating two Hispanic women in JCPenney after one cut in line to put some items in her friend's cart, telling one of them to "go back to wherever the (expletive) you come from." and speak English. She also calls her a "nobody" and tells her that taxpayers probably paid for her items because she's on welfare.
"If they come here to live, then act like everybody else," the woman said. "Get in the back of the line like everybody else does and be somebody. That's the way I look at it. Just because you come from another country, it don't make you nobody."
In a statement, Fischer said he was he was "sad and disappointed to see conduct like this." The mayor said he hopes the video prompts family discussions about "basic human values, dignity and respect" during the holidays this week.
And Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell said, “I personally denounce the intolerant actions of one woman at Jefferson Mall, and also feel that this incident could rise to the level of criminal conduct.” He added if the women targeted by the tirade want to pursue legal action, they should contact his office.
Here is the full video. Warning: Contains graphic language.
According to Louisville resident Renee Buckner, who posted the video, the white woman was upset after one of the Hispanic women cut the line to add items to her friend's cart. The video had been viewed nearly 5.5 million times, shared more than 140,000 times and commented on more than 36,000 times in the roughly 17 hours it was posted. It was taken down from Facebook Wednesday around noon but still remains on YouTube.
"It don't bother me if I say it and I hope everybody hears me," the woman said. "I think everybody here probably feels the same (expletive) way I do."
Jefferson Mall posted a response on Facebook, saying that they intend to ban the woman from the mall, once she's been identified:
"We are aware of the video posted online today from inside JCPenney. Jefferson Mall strives to create a comfortable and convenient experience for all of our guests and we absolutely do not condone this type of behavior. We will work with JCPenney to identify this woman and, once identified, she will be permanently banned from Jefferson Mall, per our Behavioral Code of Conduct."
JCPenney's public relations team released the following statement, saying they would love to find the victims of the tirade, reimburse them for their purchase and apologize for their experience.
"We are deeply disturbed by the incident that took place at our Jefferson Mall store, in which one customer made extremely inappropriate remarks to two other customers while standing in the checkout line. We regret that innocent bystanders – both other customers and a JCPenney associate – were subjected to such discriminatory remarks. We absolutely do not tolerate this behavior in our stores, and are working with our associates to ensure any future incidents of this nature will be addressed quickly and appropriately. In the meantime, JCPenney is asking for the community’s help in identifying the two women who were targeted for such remarks, as we would like to reimburse them for their entire purchase and offer a sincere apology for their experience."
Buckner, who directed questions to her pastor, also wrote in the description that the roughly 75-second clip did not capture the entire scene. People told her the woman was out of order, but "she wasn't hearing that."
In the video, the woman responded to a JCPenney employee asking her to watch her language, saying "Hey, tell them to go back to where they belong." When the Hispanic woman responded "I said sorry," in English, the woman told her to "Speak English. You're in America. If you don't know it, learn it."
"And I'm sorry that I'm that way, but you all need to realize that you're not the only ones around here," the woman said.
Rev. Timothy Findley, of the Kingdom Fellowship Christian Life Center, who is speaking on Buckner's behalf, said that the incident happened while she was holiday shopping Tuesday evening. He said they spoke right after because she was overwhelmed by the feedback.
"We all shared the same reaction: shock, disappointment, but not surprised," Findley said.
T. Gonzales, a local community activist who is Hispanic, called the video disturbing and harmful to the small, but growing local Hispanic and Latino community. He also added that he was not surprised.
"It is important to remember that just because this incident was caught on video, doesn't mean it's the first time they've experienced hatred and bigotry," he said. "You don't have a right to treat other people this way."
Gonzales said that the local Hispanic and Latino community's "hearts are breaking" because of the incident. The community made up just under 5 percent of the population in Jefferson County in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
"It's disturbing and sad," Gonzales said. "It shouldn't shape how people view Louisville. ... It should empower people to step up and say something if they see something happening."
At a press conference Wednesday morning, activist Christopher 2X said he hopes the response to the incident is the same as it was when the Louisville Islamic Center was vandalized with graffiti last year. He added that it's the second incident that has brought negative attention to Louisville in the past month, joining the double homicide during the annual Juice Bowl on Thanksgiving Day.
"I felt that it was my obligation to at least ask others to have a courageous voice -- to speak up when they are subjected to this kind of stuff," 2X said in Jefferson Square downtown.
2X, along with the Rev. Drumondo Simpson, both said at the press conference that they hope the incident can be used as a positive teaching tool for not only the woman but the entire community. They both do not condone any death threats or violence sent toward the woman in the video.
"I really believe that the person who shot the video along with the people who are smiling and chuckling and laughing in the background should have said something because words can hurt," Simpson said. "It takes a long time to heal. We need to be more sensitive to everyone in the community."
Reporter Justin Sayers can be reached at 502-582-4252 or jsayers@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_JustinSayers.
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