Man dons KKK hood in grocery store to meet face mask requirements

The woman who took the initial photograph, identified in the article as Melissa S, said she was in "total disbelief" when she saw the hooded man.

By ZACHARY KEYSER
A Beersheba grocery store (photo credit: YASSER OKBI)
A Beersheba grocery store
(photo credit: YASSER OKBI)
Sheriffs in East County, San Diego have launched a criminal probe, investigating an incident in which a man was photographed wearing an improvised Ku Klux Klan hood at the Vons grocery store in Santee - attempting to identify the man and pursue any "appropriate criminal charges," according to The Times of San Diego.
The photograph sparked outrage surrounding the man's attire and prompted backlash in the direction of the store on social media by local officials and social media users alike, sowing the seeds for the investigation.
“Detectives from the Sheriff’s Department are looking into the matter and will pursue any appropriate criminal charges,” said Santee Mayor John Minto, according to The Times of San Diego. “The Sheriff’s Department does not condone hate or any acts of intolerance in our communities. We are a county that is welcoming of people from all backgrounds.”
Tammy Gillies of the San Diego branch of the Anti-Defamation League commented, "“Don’t know which angers me more — the person wearing this or the fact that no one in management @Vons Santee did anything about it.”

According to the report, the man was facetiously wearing the hood in order to meet the face mask requirements for public areas, enacted by city officials as the coronavirus pandemic continues to tighten its grip the United States.
The woman who took the initial photograph, identified in the article as Melissa S, said she was in "total disbelief" when she saw the hooded man.
Vons employees working the day of the incident, allegedly told the man to remove the hood or leave - so the man removed the hood, which then gave onlookers a chance to photograph the man's face.
“He was behind me in line. Standing quietly. A man in a wheelchair [went] past and saluted him and he laughed. I took the photo because I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. I’ve grown up in Santee and have never seen such racism right before my eyes,” said Melissa.
However, she said she was not trying to publicly shame him.
“I didn’t turn around to take more photos without [the hood] because he made me feel uncomfortable,” she said. “Shamed, no. I’m sure his face all over is shaming him. But a man his age should know better.”
Vons confirmed the incident took place at their store in Santee, denouncing the occurrence in the process.
"Unfortunately, an alarming and isolated incident occurred at our Vons store in Santee, where a customer chose an inflammatory method of wearing a face covering. Needless to say, it was shocking," said Vons in a public statement. "Several members of our team asked the customer to remove it, and all requests were ignored until the customer was in the checkout area.
"This was a disturbing incident for our associates and customers, and we are reviewing with our team how to best handle such inappropriate situations in the future."
A joint statement filed by the City Council and the offices of the City of Santee lauded city citizens and the Vons employees who took the steps and the initiative to address the situation
“Many thanks to all who stepped forward to curtail this sad reminder of intolerance. Santee, its leaders, and I will not tolerate such behavior. Santee and its citizens are great, and this particular individual’s actions are not representative of us as a people and a wonderful city," said mayor Minto.


Related Tags
Ku Klux Klan
grocery stores
Face mask