According to KPBS, a city official in Coronado, California is on leave — and his wife has been fired from her teaching job in Riverside County — after being accused of making racist remarks against Asian people on a viral video.
"The allegations surfaced following the release of a video allegedly featuring Roger Miller, the city's director of recreation and golf services, and his wife, Sandra Miller. The video's poster, who said the incident occurred this weekend in Newport Beach, alleged that prior to filming, the couple made racist comments, including statements about Chinese people spreading COVID-19," said the report.
The video shows the two people in a parking structure, and the woman can be heard saying, "I love that we are not in their country. I love that we are not communism. I love that very much." She later lashes out at the person filming, saying, "America is a free country. Go back to China."
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According to the report, Coronado City Manager Tina Friend has not publicly confirmed the person is Miller, but said in a statement that "the person involved has been placed on administrative leave pending an independent, full and fair investigation."
Hate incidents against Asian-Americans have surged in the last two years, driven in part by people blaming them for the COVID-19 pandemic, which has prompted new legislation cracking down on hate crimes. Some government officials have stirred controversy, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) even bragging about how many "yellow people" were at her GOP event.
