MONROE COUNTY, Mich. – An orchard owner’s hate-filled rant against a family from Ann Arbor costs him a lot of money.
Local 4 dove deep into the situation last fall when a video surfaced of Steve Elzinga raging against Muslims and telling the Mahmoud family they couldn’t leave his orchard.
The family filed a civil lawsuit after the incident, and the owner has now paid to settle the family’s civil lawsuit on Monday (April 15).
“Every Muslim who comes in here steals from me,” said Elzinga.
The words of hate were launched at father Joe Mahmoud, his wife, and his two little girls, who simply wanted to have a family day at Elzinga’s orchard in Monroe County.
But instead of telling the family thanks for visiting, Elzinga detained the family and searched their SUV, accusing them, including Mahmoud’s little girls, of being thieves.
“So, are you holding me hostage,” said Mahmoud.
“I’m holding you until you pay your bill,” Elzinga said.
The racist rant has cost Erie Orchad customers as the civil suit brought by the family and attorney Abdullah Moughni has cost Elzinga plenty to settle.
“For too long, it seems like Muslims have been berated and put down and labeled and mistreated, and we decided, ‘No more,’” said Moughni.
Moughni says the family’s daughters were traumatized and have been in therapy since the racist incident.
“I know that what was said was wrong,” Mahmoud said. “How it had been said is something that no person should ever have to hear about themselves or their religious group. But at the end of the day, I think this business owner learned a lesson, and now all business owners can now learn a lesson that you can not put any minority group down. You cannot ethically intimidate any minority group without consequence.”
Elzinga did post an apology online soon after he found out he was recorded saying and using those racist remarks.