(Editor’s Note: This story is updated with an interview with the victim.)
A family enjoying a hike on a California trail encountered a racist woman who blocked their path on their way back down a hill.
Now for the first time they are speaking to the media and the company that employed the woman identified as Beth Taska has resigned from her position as Chief People Officer at Topa Equities, according to ABC7 News.
The family posted their July 4th weekend encounter on YouTube.
“The lady aggressively stepped in front of our daughter and blocked her path,” they wrote on You Tube. “She began telling our daughter that we were breaking the law. My wife, who was behind our daughter asked what was going on, and the lady told us to turn around and go back to where we came from…more strangeness then ensues.”
“You can’t have your dog here. You have to turn around and go back. You guys can’t be in this country,” the woman says on video.
“Excuse me,” they responded.
“You can’t break the law,” the woman insisted.
“Look at your heritage,” they responded. “Go back where you came from,” the mom calmly said as the family continued walking.
You can watch the entire encounter in this 2 minute video.
A man heard in the video with his family, and who asked only to be identified as Hiroshi, told ABC7 News “”I’ve been called since I was a kid, a number of things. A ch*nk, a g*ok, told to go back to Vietnam. My family is from Japan.”
His hope is to teach his 11-year-old daughter about discrimination she may face in her future.
Taska told ABC7 News in a text that she “deeply respects the right of all people and regrets her conversation did not illustrate this and wants to work toward unity.”
She also said what the family repeated she said was not accurate.
Her former employer also issued a statement.
“Following an internal review of the recent incident in Marin County, we have accepted the resignation of the employee involved, effective immediately. The conduct exhibited in the video was extremely disturbing. Topa Equities does not condone racism or discrimination of any kind in any form.”
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I wish I will be as calm as you are.
Shocking. I’m so sorry your kids were there to see the worst in a human being. I am an immigrant from Central American so I have encountered the “go back to you country” phrase many times. Its hurtful but don’t let this horrible person touch your soul.
I am sorry this gentleman had to go through that with his kids around. I am Indian and have also been told ‘go back to your country’ by a Caucasian woman who was on a bike when I was walking in my neighborhood. She said that in front of her kids. This happened about two years ago in Philadelphia. Ever since President Trump came into power, being non-P.C. has become the new ‘thing’.
There is a difference between being ‘nonpc’ and outright horrible and racist and this woman was just horrible and racist. Unfortunately, what Trump has done is made people feel like it is okay to be hateful and mean and that doing so is their right. I am sorry you had to be subjected to this also.