A Colorado waitress has been fired after tweeting that she wanted “kill as many Mexicans” as she could in one night. The reason? Apparently, a customer didn’t tip her very well.
Megan Olson of Greeley, Colorado took to social media with a very racist rant on killing Mexicans. According to local ABC affiliate 7 News Denver, residents reposted the tweet onto the Facebook page of the Texas Roadhouse she worked at.
The restaurant swiftly responded. “Our managing partner was actually mowing his lawn when he was alerted,” said Texas Roadhouse spokesman Travis Doster to Denver7. “He immediately rushed to the restaurant, met with the employee who posted this disgusting tweet and she was terminated.”
Neighbors and residents of Greeley alike remarked on Olson’s insensitivity. “I was offended by [the tweet],” said Willie Grantham, one of Olson’s neighbors, to Denver7. “As somebody who’s worked in the restaurant industry most of my adult life, I understand getting angry about customers that don’t tip. But you can’t back it down to race.”
Roadhouse frequenters also agreed with the chain restaurant company’s actions. “Thank you for standing up for what is right,” wrote Lilly Trejo on Facebook. “That woman does not deserve to serve the wonderful diversity of guests in your establishment. I hope she one day understands the damage such words can do.”
Reddit user brainlac3397 commented on the story, joking, “Well now she won’t have to be worried about getting stiffed on a tip ever again.”
Olson did eventually take to Facebook to apologize for her now-deleted tweet. “I wrote hurtful, inconsiderate, insensitive and careless words and I understand the amount of people I have offended by that,” she wrote. “There are no excuses for what I have done. I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, apologize to everyone for my momentary lack of judgment. I want you all to know that I do not actually feel this way.”
Despite her apology, people are discussing Olson’s racist tweet in terms of the 2016 election and society as a whole. “We have seen a fear-mongering campaign that has legitimized racist comments like this across all social media networks,” said Maria Handley, executive director of Generation Latino, to Denver7. “This hateful racist comment from a Greeley waitress is not unique.”