A California city official and his wife, a teacher, are under investigation after a video of them making racist remarks towards an Asian couple went viral on social media.
Roger Miller, and his wife, Sandie Miller, went viral after the Asian couple shared video footage of their encounter with them at the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach, California on Jan. 29, 2022.
'Go Back to China'
The video, reposted by the popular Instagram account @jackfroot, did not capture the initial racist comments that prompted the Asian couple to start recording the Millers.
The person who filmed the video told SanDiegoVille that he and his girlfriend were shopping when the "racist" couple walked by them, made eye contact and made statements like "oooh COVID is gonna get you" and "those Chinese spreading COVID." The Millers then continued to talk loudly amongst themselves intentionally so the racial slurs and comments can be heard by the victim and his girlfriend.
The clip starts off with the Asian couple following the Millers as they walk to their car in what appears to be a parking lot. "'I'm glad we're not communist," Sandie is heard saying as they continue walking. "I'm glad we're not their country."
When they're confronted by the Asian couple, they try to justify their behavior by saying, "America is a free country." Sandie is then heard yelling, "Go back to China!" The clip ends with the Millers showing the Asian couple the middle finger.
Millers Identified, Under Investigation by Their Employers
Not long after the video went viral, popular social media user @thatdaneshguy, who is known for identifying people and holding them accountable for their behavior, identified Roger, 55, as the director of recreation and golf services in Coronado, California. Danesh also ID'd Sandie, 56, as a teacher employed by Linfield Christian School in Temecula.
The viral video prompted the city of Coronado to release a statement that the incident was being investigated.
"The City became aware of a recording of a City employee and alleged comments made. The City took immediate action to look into this report. As this is a personnel matter, I cannot discuss specifics at this point. This is a serious matter and I am taking appropriate action," city manager Tina Friend said in a statement posted on January 30. "The City of Coronado is a welcoming place for all."
Linfield Christian School also issued a statement saying the school was "looking into" Sandie's behavior. "Linfield Christian School has become aware of a video recording that features comments made by one of our employees," the school said in a statement obtained by Danesh. As this is a personnel issue, we cannot discuss specifics at this time, but we recognize it is a serious matter, and we are taking immediate action to look into it."
"Please know that the comments expressed in the video do not represent the viewpoints of Linfield Chrisitian School. Our school is enriched by the addition of students from around the world, and we seek to model the heard and love of Christ as we build a community that is reflective of our mission."
