Kentucky mall bans woman for racist, vulgar rant
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - A Louisville mall is banning a woman caught on video screaming racist and vulgar insults at another holiday shopper.
The video of the unidentified woman shouting "go back to wherever the (expletive) you come from, lady" in a check-out line at the Jefferson Mall spread quickly on social media Tuesday.
In the video taken by another shopper, the elderly white woman claims a Hispanic woman cut in line to join another shopper.
The white woman screams at the two women that they're "nobodies," ''probably on welfare" and tells them to learn to speak English.
“I said sorry,” one of the women responded.
“You’re in America,” the lady shouted. “If you don’t know it, learn it.”
By Wednesday, it had been viewed more than five million times. The original Facebook video was taken down but was also posted to YouTube.
*WARNING: Video contains disturbing language.*
The mall issued a statement on its Facebook page saying that it is working to identify the woman and bar her from returning.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer also addressed the video. In a series of tweets, he wrote:
"I am sad and disappointed to see conduct like what happened at Jefferson Mall, when one person so dehumanizes another human being. This is not who we are, and on behalf of our community, I apologize to the two women who were treated in such a horrible way. I hope this video prompts many discussions among families as they gather for the holidays this week. Discussions about basic human values, dignity and respect. As a country of immigrants, we must understand we only move forward through peace, acceptance and embracing those who are different from us. These are basic American values protected in our Constitution, values embraced in this welcoming, compassionate community."