Michael Lofthouse is a British-born tech CEO who was recorded making racist remarks to an Asian family at the Bernardus Lodge hotel in Carmel Valley, California. The Orosa family was at the restaurant celebrating Mari Orosa’s birthday.
CBS News’ Ramy Inocencio named the man in the video as Michael Lofthouse, the CEO of Solid8. The video went viral on July 7 after it was retweeted by The Voice judge Kelly Clarkson.
The Bernardus Lodge has issued a statement on the incident, via KSBW, that read:
This is an extremely unfortunate situation, however we are proud of our staff at Lucia in keeping with Bernardus Lodge’s core values; this incident was handled swiftly and the diner was escorted off property without further escalation.
We provide guests with a safe environment for lodging and dining, and extend our sincere apologies to the guests enjoying a birthday celebration on a holiday weekend.
The hotel said that Lofthouse was not a resident of the hotel and was there having dinner.
Lofthouse has responded to the scandal in a statement via KSBW’s Felix Cortez:
My behavior in the video is appalling. 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.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. In the Video Lofthouse Says, ‘Trump’s Gonna F— You’
According to Instagram user Jordanlizchan, who shared the original video, she was with her family celebrating her aunt’s birthday when the altercation occurred. The clip begins with Chan asking Lofthouse to repeat what he had just said. At the time of the recording, Lofthouse is sitting alone at a table. Lofthouse responds by staring at the camera and flipping off Chan and her family. After a moment, Lofthouse says, “Trump’s gonna f— you.” Lofthouse also says, “You f—— need to leave! You f—— Asian piece of s—!”
A server at the restaurant can be seen and heard in the video demanding that Lofthouse leave the establishment while telling him that Chan and her family are “valued guests.” Lofthouse tells the server that he has already paid. He gathers his things and then leaves.
Chan wrote in the caption of the video that her family was “relentlessly harassed” by Lofthouse during their birthday celebration. Chan wrote that Lofthouse used the phrases, “F— you Asians,” “Go back to whatever f—— Asian country you’re from” and “You don’t belong here.”
In an interview with KION 546, Chan said, “Even after he got kicked out, he tried to come back because he was inebriated. It was very clear that alcohol was involved.” Lofthouse’s mother Linda Lofthouse told The Daily Mail in an interview that her son has an alcohol problem and described her son as a “loose cannon.” Linda Lofthouse stressed that her family is not racist and that they deal with their son’s erratic behavior “every day.”
Raymond Orosa, Mari Orosa’s husband, rejected Lofthouse’s apology during an interview with ABC San Francisco. Raymond Orosa said, “He’s just saving face. I think he really meant what he said and what he did. I don’t believe his words because his actions speak louder than the words he’s saying.” Despite rejecting the apology, Raymond Orosa said that he forgave Lofthouse.
Raymond Orosa also said that he has lived in the United States for 26 years and that they had never experienced racism like the abuse they suffered that night.
2. Later, Lofthouse Got Involved in Another Racially Motivated Altercation on Social Media
Shortly after posting the original video, Chan posted a screenshot of a text conversation a man named Ahmed Omer said he had with Lofthouse. Omer wrote, “You are a trash human being and you deserve every bad thing that happens to you.”
The man using the moniker Michael Lofthouse responded, saying, “Great food for u – Leave our planet. You Asian f—. Come near me or my people u r f—— dead. Do not start. U f—— piece of shot.”
In his interview with ABC San Francisco, Raymond Orosa cited these words from Lofthouse as part of his reasoning for not accepting his apology.
3. Lofthouse Emigrated to the United States in 2010
Instagram/Michael LofthouseIn the wake of the scandal, Michael Lofthouse set his Instagram page to private.
Records show that Lofthouse emigrated to the United States in 2010, originally living in New York City. Lofthouse graduated from Newcastle Business School in 2005. He studied business at the school, which is associated with Northumbria University, located in the northeast of England, according to his now-deleted LinkedIn page. Lofthouse’s Twitter page has been suspended due to a violation of Twitter’s rules.
While based in England, Lofthouse said, he worked for tech giants such as Hewlett-Packard and IBM. Upon moving to the United States, Lofthouse worked for software companies such as Appdynamics, Inkling and BMC Software as a salesman. Lofthouse said on his LinkedIn introduction page that he “has broad experience in the US & UK Cloud Technology markets.”
4. Lofthouse Founded His Own Tech Company in 2017
LinkedIn/Michael Lofthouse
According to Lofthouse’s Facebook page, he lives in San Francisco. Online records show that Solid8, a tech consulting company, is based in the Bay Area. The company is described as serving to “carefully {giude3} clients through the analysis and selection cycle with detailed business value assessments, accurate vendor recommendations and precise procurement of the right fit platforms that deliver major efficiency and financial improvements.” The company was founded in 2017. The company’s LinkedIn page says that there are between 2 and 10 employed there.
5. Lofthouse Spent 2 Days in Prison Following a Vandalism Offense in 2016
Instagram/Jordanlizchan
In July 2016, Lofthouse was found guilty of vandalism and sentenced to two days in prison, three years probation and 80 hours of community service. As a result of the case, Lofthouse also had a restraining order placed upon him. Lofthouse had also been facing charges of domestic battery and the destruction of telephone lines. Those charges were dismissed.
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