A seasonal contractor employee associated with Austin’s Trail of Lights has been terminated after a video surfaced, capturing what many are deeming to be racist remarks.
This incident unfolded on Friday, December 12, along the event’s pathway. A woman, while purchasing a hot dog from a vendor, began recording as a male employee in a golf cart shouted through a speaker. He was heard criticizing the vendors regarding their sanitary practices, stating, “You got no bathrooms, nowhere to wash your hands. It’s gross.”
Further into the video, the employee provocatively inquired if passersby would like an “illegal cartel hotdog.” Moments later, he drove his golf cart into one of the food vendor’s carts and continued to demand that the vendors leave, even briefly addressing them in Spanish. The recording captures him warning the woman filming, “You don’t want to eat that, I promise. You don’t know how many days ago they cooked that.”
Another individual can be heard responding, “It’s a Mexican thing you wouldn’t understand,” to which the employee replied, “I’m Texican bro,” before driving away.
The video elicited strong reactions from local officials, including Austin City Councilman Zo Qadri, who issued a statement condemning the behavior. “The Trail of Lights is meant to be a joyful, welcoming experience for everyone and should never be a place for hate, racism, or unsafe behavior. The conduct shown in this video is deeply concerning and does not reflect Austin’s values. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in our public spaces, and we expect appropriate review and accountability,” he stated.
Local residents also expressed their disapproval. Jac Carson remarked, “That’s no way to treat someone else who lives in this city. That’s just unkind and that’s not what Christmas is about.” Jordan Shelton added, “It feels like Bronx, Philly, New York style of doing things, but that’s not Texas. That’s all I can say.”
In response to the incident, Austin Trail of Lights confirmed on Monday evening that the seasonal contractor employee depicted in the video had been dismissed. They released the following statement: “On the evening of Friday, December 12, the Trail of Lights Foundation was alerted to an incident that occurred at the Trail the previous evening. The incident was immediately reviewed, and within hours, it was determined that the individual involved was a seasonal employee of one of our contractors. The person was swiftly relieved of all duties and is no longer affiliated with the Trail of Lights in any capacity. We have reiterated expectations to our contractors while reinforcing established de-escalation protocols moving forward.”
“The behavior in question was not representative of the values of our organization or our city, and is not tolerated. We have taken immediate and lasting action to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The Trail of Lights is a cherished Austin tradition that welcomes the entire community, and we expect those entrusted with its legacy to perform their duties in line with the values of our city.”
