While at Fred & Ethel’s Lantern Light Restaurant and Tavern in Galloway, New Jersey, Lisa Smurro told a server that “There’s a man p---ing in the bathroom.” Smurro, the wife of Neptune Middle School Vice Principal Michael Smurro, continued telling the server, “She’s a man. There’s a man in the woman’s bathroom.” As seen in a now-viral video, Smurro continues to announce that it’s “not right.” Notably, under New Jersey state law, people are in fact allowed to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
Michael Smurro handled the situation by throwing a beer at the person who filmed his wife’s loud, transphobic rant. He was seen on video approaching his wife and outside diners while holding a beer and then throwing the beer at a person off-camera. On video, he says, “There you go." Unsurprisingly, the video quickly got national media attention. He has since apologized.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Michael Smurro said, “I allowed my emotions to get in the way of my normally sound judgment and reacted in a way that was inappropriate. I do not condone violence or discrimination of any kind and should have simply walked away.” He said he apologizes to the person who he threw his beer at as well as to anyone he offended.
In an interview with NBC 10, Lisa Smurro told the outlet, “It wasn't about the transgender situation. It was more about the patrons taking a video and heckling and sneering and smiling." In speaking to AJ Advance, Lisa stated: “My whole thing is, that restaurant provided a bathroom for transgenders, and that’s where they should have gone. I just felt a little uncomfortable. Our daughter’s not young anymore, but if she was young and I brought her in there, that would have made me very uncomfortable.” She repeated her sentiment that people were “mocking” her and her husband and stressed that the couple “assaulted no one,” “touched no one” and “spoke to no one.”
The same outlet spoke to a witness of the event who posted the video to Facebook. The witness asked the outlet to refer to her as Carrie and leave out her last name over the fear of retaliation. Carrie said the incident was “just disgusting” and claims that Lisa Smurro complained about a transgender woman using the bathroom while she was in it and continued to repeat: “She’s a man!”
The Neptune school district gave a statement via its website on Tuesday, describing the event as “troubling.” The statement notes that “actions shown in the video do not reflect our district’s commitment to inclusivity, cooperation, respect, and non-violence.” According to the statement, the board of education and superintendent will “respond to this incident in a manner that is appropriate and relative to the seriousness of the situation and that takes into consideration the impact this incident has had on the reputation of our wonderful district,”
According to the restaurant, no one involved called the police.
In addition to the original Facebook video linked above, you can watch some of the incident below.
YouTube Video
Michael Smurro handled the situation by throwing a beer at the person who filmed his wife’s loud, transphobic rant. He was seen on video approaching his wife and outside diners while holding a beer and then throwing the beer at a person off-camera. On video, he says, “There you go." Unsurprisingly, the video quickly got national media attention. He has since apologized.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Michael Smurro said, “I allowed my emotions to get in the way of my normally sound judgment and reacted in a way that was inappropriate. I do not condone violence or discrimination of any kind and should have simply walked away.” He said he apologizes to the person who he threw his beer at as well as to anyone he offended.
In an interview with NBC 10, Lisa Smurro told the outlet, “It wasn't about the transgender situation. It was more about the patrons taking a video and heckling and sneering and smiling." In speaking to AJ Advance, Lisa stated: “My whole thing is, that restaurant provided a bathroom for transgenders, and that’s where they should have gone. I just felt a little uncomfortable. Our daughter’s not young anymore, but if she was young and I brought her in there, that would have made me very uncomfortable.” She repeated her sentiment that people were “mocking” her and her husband and stressed that the couple “assaulted no one,” “touched no one” and “spoke to no one.”
The same outlet spoke to a witness of the event who posted the video to Facebook. The witness asked the outlet to refer to her as Carrie and leave out her last name over the fear of retaliation. Carrie said the incident was “just disgusting” and claims that Lisa Smurro complained about a transgender woman using the bathroom while she was in it and continued to repeat: “She’s a man!”
The Neptune school district gave a statement via its website on Tuesday, describing the event as “troubling.” The statement notes that “actions shown in the video do not reflect our district’s commitment to inclusivity, cooperation, respect, and non-violence.” According to the statement, the board of education and superintendent will “respond to this incident in a manner that is appropriate and relative to the seriousness of the situation and that takes into consideration the impact this incident has had on the reputation of our wonderful district,”
According to the restaurant, no one involved called the police.
In addition to the original Facebook video linked above, you can watch some of the incident below.
YouTube Video