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Journalism of Courage
A real estate agent in the United States of America lost her job for leaving a hateful note for a waiter at a Mexican restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Stephanie Lovins, who worked with Century 21, sparked outrage when she wrote “I hope Trump deports you” on a receipt at Cazuelas Mexican Cantina, instead of tipping.
After she left, another waiter discovered the receipt with her offensive message, and soon after, a photo of it went viral. As backlash spread across social media, Lovins attempted to deny any wrongdoing, claiming on LinkedIn that her credit card had been lost or stolen. “Thank you for all the recent notifications of scammers and profile hackers! I recently discovered a lost/missing credit card and an attempted use/purchase,” she wrote.
However, security footage from the restaurant proved she was indeed there. Facing increasing pressure, Century 21 took action, confirming to NBC4 that Lovins was no longer associated with their brand.
“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.
This incident comes at a time the Trump administration has intensified efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, including mass deportations and attempts to revoke birthright citizenship.
In the wake of the controversy, a GoFundMe campaign called “Tip Ricardo: Because Hate Has No Place Here” was launched to show support for the waiter and raise funds on his behalf.
