VIDEO: Florida Fair Worker Fired For Altercation, Yelling Racial Slurs

A Florida fair worker was fired Wednesday after a video appeared online showing him hurling racial slurs at a fairgoer.

The incident occurred Sunday at the Lee County Fair in southwestern Florida. The fair worker, whose name hasn’t been released, was working one of the children’s rides when he reportedly got into a confrontation with one of the parents.

Trevor Reiland, the witness who recorded the fight, said the worker allegedly cursed at a woman by the ride, though wasn’t sure why. The woman’s husband reportedly went over and hit the worker on the arm, asking him to “come see him” about what happened. The worker then allegedly cursed out the husband and called him a racial slur several times, prompting the man to reach over the guard rail in an attempt to choke the worker.

Several parents are seen getting out of the way with their children, some of whom are heard crying, as the two men continued yelling at each.

“For the kids, we had to explain what happened, 'cause they asked what that word was,” Reiland told reporters. “So it was pretty upsetting.”

Reithoffer Shows, which provided the workers for the fair, fired the worker and condemned his actions in a statement on its Facebook page.

The Lee County Fair organizers followed up with a statement of their own:

“The Board of Directors of the Southwest Florida and Lee County Fair Association, Inc., does not in any way condone the type of behavior displayed in the video.

The Fair Association strives to provide the community with a family friendly, safe, fun, and affordable experience that can be enjoyed by all. The Fair is not just about the rides. The Fair is an opportunity to share the importance of Agriculture and Education. In our ever changing world, it’s good to go back to the basics of an earlier time and share those times with the youth of today. Agriculture and Education have come a long way, and technology plays a major role today. When all is said and done, it’s still about providing food for the people and preparing them for the future. Our goal is to have a positive impact on the learning experience of our exhibitors as well as our guests and to encourage their continued involvement in the Fair.”