April 08--A court hearing over a vandalism case in Lakeview -- where a woman smeared lipstick on a restaurant window because she found its name objectionable -- was postponed on Tuesday until April 28.
The case was pushed back in part because the defendant's attorney had a scheduling conflict.
In February, Jeannie Harrell, 26, was arrested and charged for misdemeanor criminal damage to property at the Lakeview restaurant Chop Chop Chinaman. Harrell said she found the name offensive -- "Chinaman" is an ethnic slur for many -- and so she scrawled a message with lipstick on the restaurant window voicing her objections.
Harrell was arrested after the manager for the restaurant, Larry Lee, discovered a picture Harrell posted on social media of the defaced window. Lee decided to press charges, he said, to prevent copycats.
Said Lee: "What's to stop the next person to throw a brick through the window? I'm not being vindictive. But you can't do a negative action in order to get a positive reaction."
Said Harrell: "What I did was so minor, in terms of the damage I did, relative to someone putting up something that is aggressively racist. I don't think anyone should be imprisoned for a problem Windex solves."
After news of Harrell's arrest spread, both she and the restaurant heard from fervent supporters and critics alike. The restaurant received dozens of phone calls from those offended by its name, and its Yelp review page reflected the backlash. On the other side, anonymous online commenters called for Harrell to be sentenced to the maximum one-year jail sentence, and someone posted on the Facebook page of Harrell's employers calling for her termination.
kpang@tribpub.com
Twitter @pang
