Ohio Woman Fired After Writing Racist Message on Restaurant Receipt: “I Hope Trump Deports You”
On what should’ve been a quiet Sunday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, a customer walked into Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina and ordered her meal. By the time she walked out, she had no idea her name—and her career—would be the center of a national firestorm.
The incident began when a waitress at Cazuelas handed a woman her bill, totaling $87.84. What should’ve ended with a simple tip and a signature turned into something uglier: on the receipt, the customer scribbled a chilling message. “Zero. You suck,” she wrote in the tip section, and underneath, on the signature line: “I hope Trump deports you!!!”
It didn’t take long for the receipt to go viral. A photo of it, uploaded by another restaurant employee on Facebook, quickly made the rounds. The name on the bill was clear: Stephanie Lovins.
A Long Career Ends Overnight
Internet sleuths didn’t waste time. Within hours, they discovered that Lovins had been a real estate agent for over 30 years, most recently working with Century 21, one of the most recognized names in the property business.
But her three decades of professional work didn’t shield her from the consequences of a viral misstep. Once the image spread and the name attached to it became public knowledge, backlash poured in.
And in the age of screenshots and public accountability, her employer had no choice but to respond.
Century 21 released a public statement shortly after reviewing the situation:
“We are aware of the situation with the agent in question. Hate has no place within the Century 21 brand, and we are taking this very seriously… We can confirm that this agent is no longer affiliated with the brand.”
Lovins had been fired.
The Denial, the Claim, and the Footage
But Lovins didn’t stay silent. She popped up in a local Facebook group shortly after the news broke, claiming that the credit card had been stolen and that the racist message wasn’t hers.
“My phone has been blowing up,” she wrote. “My main focus is reporting this to the bank. My card was stolen and someone used it.”
Her defense: scammers and profile hackers.
Unfortunately for her, the restaurant wasn’t guessing. Fabio Oribio, the marketing manager at Cazuelas, had already pulled the CCTV footage from that day. And it told a very different story.
“We reviewed the tapes,” he said in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch. “There’s no doubt. It was her.”
With that, her denial crumbled—and the damage was done.
A Waiter, A Message, A Movement
As for the waiter? His name is Ricardo, and he’s a U.S. citizen, working two jobs just to make ends meet. While Lovins assumed, or perhaps hoped, he was undocumented, Ricardo has every right to live and work in the country.
But rather than dwell on the hate, his coworkers and the community decided to act with love. A GoFundMe was launched titled “Give Ricardo the Tip He Deserves.” And in a beautiful turn of events, that fundraiser has already raised over $8,800.
The restaurant, too, released a statement showing its support:
“We believe in the power of respect, tolerance, and acceptance. Recently, one of our team members faced an unacceptable situation, and we stand firmly against any form of hate or discrimination.”
A Larger Pattern in the U.S.
The story, though local, hits a national nerve. It comes at a time when America is increasingly divided, and incidents involving public racism, intolerance, and targeted hate are no longer rare.
President Donald Trump has again teased “mass deportations,” a move that many believe emboldens people like Lovins to act on their biases openly. Critics argue that Trump’s rhetoric around immigration has created an environment where hatred masquerades as patriotism.
This isn’t the first such incident—and it likely won’t be the last. Social media users are now attaching the acronym “FAFO” to these stories: F** Around, Find Out*. The phrase has become a kind of cultural shorthand for people who behave badly, get caught, and suffer the consequences.
The Aftermath: What It Says About Us
Incidents like these shine a spotlight not only on individual actions but on broader societal trends. Stephanie Lovins may have acted alone, but her words carried the weight of a larger conversation—one about identity, belonging, decency, and what it means to live in a multicultural society.
Yes, the message was written on a bill. But it echoed across an entire community.
It reminded us that racism doesn’t always show up wearing hoods or waving flags. Sometimes, it hides in plain sight—on receipts, in whispers, or as passive-aggressive “jokes.”
And while Lovins may have intended her comment to humiliate a waiter, it ended up being a defining moment in her own life. Not because of what she endured—but because of what she chose to say.
Her words cost her a career.
His dignity cost him nothing.
