Summary: A New York lawyer went viral for all the wrong reasons when he freaked out on Spanish speakers at a lunch spot.
Since Tuesday, a Manhattan attorney has been getting a ton of free press, but probably not for a reason he wanted.
In a Facebook video post that has now gone viral, attorney Aaron Schlossberg can be seen confronting restaurant workers and customers who had been speaking Spanish in front of him. Angrily, Schlossberg tells them to speak English and that he will call ICE, assuming that they are undocumented. He also states that the workers are probably on welfare that he says he pays for.
Schlossberg’s rant was seen by millions, and in the aftermath of his outburst, people have shared stories and videos of him ranting at strangers in other instances and flooded his law firm’s Yelp page with bad reviews.
“Your staff is speaking Spanish to customers when they should be speaking English,” Schlossberg said. “This is America.”
Edward Suazo, who posted the video to Facebook, wrote that Schlossberg confronted him and his wife in a restaurant, and he called the attorney an “asshole.”
“What a big man talking down to couple of women and a helpless employee,” Suazo wrote. “I wish someone tells me I can’t speak in my native language ! First of all they wasn’t talking to you !! Asshole !”
Schlossberg has returned to work, according to a PIX11 video posted on Youtube, but he has refused to make a statement.
On Schlossberg’s law firm website, he states that he practices business and commercial law. While he seems to hate the idea of people speaking Spanish in the United States, he ironically lists that he can speak Spanish and can do a consultation in the language.
“Mr. Schlossberg earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from The Johns Hopkins University and his Juris Doctorate Degree from the George Washington University Law School. Mr. Schlossberg gained invaluable insight during his post-graduate judicial clerkship and significant experience as an associate with two midtown Manhattan law firms prior to founding The Law Office of Aaron M. Schlossberg, Esq., P.L.L.C., in June 2012,” the website states. “Mr. Schlossberg is a published author and a seasoned presenter. He is fluent in Spanish, conversational in French and has basic knowledge of Mandarin Chinese and Hebrew.”
Online users have called for Schlossberg’s disbarment. According to activist Shaun King, “This is a clear violation of the New York Bar Association’s Code of Ethics and shows he is unable to be fair and unbiased in his representation of people.”
- Why Are These Texas Lawyer’s Ads Going Viral?
- Houston Lawyer Donates Money to Minority Groups After Racist Remarks