A woman has been fired from her job after writing a racist note on a restaurant bill during a visit to Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Columbus, Ohio. Instead of leaving a tip for her waiter, she wrote, “Zero, you suck,” followed by a disturbing message: “I hope Trump deports you!!!” The meal cost $87.84, and the comment was written directly across the signature line of the receipt.
The receipt was later shared on Facebook by one of the restaurant’s employees, and it quickly went viral. The name on the receipt—Stephanie Lovins—was clearly visible. Internet users soon uncovered that Lovins had been working as a real estate agent with Century 21 for nearly 30 years, a well-known and widely respected company in the real estate industry.
As backlash mounted, Lovins attempted to defend herself in a local Facebook group. She claimed her credit card had been “lost or stolen,” and that the person who used it must have written the offensive message. She also said she had been overwhelmed by calls and messages since the post went public, insisting her main priority was to have the charge investigated and reported to her bank.
Lovins blamed “scammers and profile hackers” for the incident and thanked those who were showing patience as she worked to resolve the situation. However, the restaurant’s marketing manager, Fabio Oribio, told The Columbus Dispatch that he had reviewed the CCTV footage. He confirmed that it was, without question, Lovins herself who wrote the message on the bill before leaving the restaurant.
Following this confirmation, Century 21 released a statement disavowing Lovins’ actions. The company emphasized its stance against hate, saying, “Hate has no place within the Century 21 brand, and we are taking this very seriously.” They explained that after an internal investigation and discussions with the affiliated broker, Lovins was no longer associated with the company.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and serves as a reminder of how quickly offensive behavior in public settings can lead to real-world consequences. It also highlights the increasing role of social media in holding individuals accountable for discriminatory actions.
