Sarina Gupta, the Indian-origin woman featured in a viral video from a supermarket in Stamford, Connecticut, has broken her silence and identified herself. In the video, a white woman tells her to 'go back to your country' and 'eat your bacon.' The incident occurred on June 2, when Gupta was at a Shoprite store. She recorded the video after a woman became angered while waiting at the checkout counter. Social media users later identified the woman as Victoria Louise Mason, a nurse at The Nathaniel Witherell healthcare facility.
Gupta's Account of the Incident
Gupta stated that it was her birthday, and she was at the store to return some items. The return process took longer than usual, and she suggested Mason use another counter. Mason became angry and told Gupta to leave America. Gupta then took out her phone and began recording. In the video, Mason says, 'Doesn’t matter, put me on Instagram. Put me wherever you want. Go eat your bacon,' and shows her middle finger. She continues, 'Am I taking up your time with your return with your long return, you fat a**? Go back to your f**king country and (inaudible) and stay out of America. Go eat your bacon. Lord knows she has been.'
Employer's Response
After the video went viral and Mason's identity was revealed, her employer announced an investigation. Nathaniel Witherell released a statement: 'We are aware of a video circulating on social media involving an individual identified as one of our employees. We are deeply troubled by the comments made in the video. These remarks do not reflect the values, policies, or culture of Nathaniel Witherell. We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding hate speech, discrimination, and harassment in any form. Nathaniel Witherell is committed to maintaining a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for our employees, partners, and the communities we serve.'
Gupta's Reaction
Gupta expressed shock that the harasser works as a nurse, finding it terrifying that she attends to patients of color. She was also shocked by the blistering attack and noted that the supermarket staff were not trained to handle such situations. 'Some of the employees were also people of color. And they were as shocked and scared as I was,' Gupta said.
