Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

San Francisco Coffee Shop Owner Fires Her Own Husband After He Used Racial Slur During Altercation

San Francisco Coffee Shop Owner Fires Her Own Husband After He Used Racial Slur During Altercation
Port Of San Francisco/YouTube

Eileen Rinaldi, owner of San Francisco coffee shop Ritual, made the decision to fire her own husband from the job after he reported using a racial slur during a verbal altercation while managing a construction project.

John Rinaldi, her husband, was involved in a fight over a parking space in which the n-word was exchanged back and forth between he and the fighting party.


Several people of color heard Rinaldi in particular using the slur, leading to Eileen Rinaldi making the choice to fire her own husband from the construction project.

She announced her decision in a statement that was shared to the company's Instagram page.


"Words have power," wrote Rinaldi on Instagram, "and the word he repeated is undoubtedly racist and harmful. To me, it means hate and dehumanization."

"I am thinking about and gutted by the unimaginable pain, anger, and trauma this word has caused throughout history and in every moment a white person uses it."




"I have made mistakes and I'm learning. I am committed to doing the necessary work of continuously evolving how we are an anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable business and place for our employees, customers, and community," she continued.

"And I embrace that this work has no closure. We need to work on it every month and year and for the life of the business."



John Rinaldi told the San Francisco Chroniclethat he otherwise would "never, ever use" the n-word.

"I regret the incident, and feel terrible about it. I am deeply disappointed in myself for meeting hostility with hostility, and allowing the situation to escalate."


Rinaldi, who once ran a joke campaign for mayor of San Francisco and who has come to be known as "Chicken John," has encountered claims about his racial sensitivity before.

Whether or not this will remain a problem with Ritual's brand itself remains to be seen.

More from Trending

person lying on bed reading book
Dessidre Fleming on Unsplash

People Who Sleep Naked Describe The Times It Backfired—And Oof

I make it a habit to travel with nice pajamas that I don't mind having other people see.

One reason why is because years ago on a business trip to St. Louis, Missouri, one of the other hotels near where we were staying had a minor fire in the middle of the night.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kate Shaw; Josh Hawley
C-SPAN

Law Professor Bluntly Debunks Hawley's Conspiracy About Why Number Of Trump Injunctions Is So High

On Tuesday, Kate Shaw, law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the role of the federal court system.

The Republican majority focused primarily on federal judges issuing nationwide injunctions that block the unconstitutional executive orders of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump and the Trump administration's illegal or unconstitutional actions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @joyfullykrisandra's TikTok video
@joyfullykrisandra/TikTok

Mom Slams Bakery's Epic Fail After Ordering $200 Cake For Son's Graduation Party

The time of year has come for major celebrations, especially among families with graduates in their midst.

For those who want to throw a party to celebrate, they have to prepare one of the central features: a cake.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @tallertoddlers' TikTok video
@tallertoddlers/TikTok

Woman Horrified After Accidentally Shattering Roommate's $249 Louis Vuitton Chocolate Purse

There are a few "roommate etiquette" rules we should all be able to agree to: don't use or take something that doesn't belong to you, at least without asking; don't eat your roommate's food; and honestly, don't touch their food, especially with your bare hands.

A leading rule, however, should be: If you break something that belongs to your roommate, you should replace it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Patrick Renna in 'The Sandlot'; Patrick Renna stepping up to bat with the Savannah Bananas
20th Century Fox; @thesavbananas/TikTok

'The Sandlot' Star Surprises Baseball Fans By Stepping Up To Bat At Savannah Bananas Game

Millennials everywhere who weren't at a recent Savannah Bananas game will be sent into a nostalgic spiral when they see the video of Patrick Renna, better known as Ham Porter or "The Great Hambino" in the 1993 film The Sandlot, stepping up to bat.

The Savannah Bananas provide the perfect interactive baseball game experience for fans and families, and inviting well-known personalities is just part of their repertoire.

Keep ReadingShow less