Who is Michael Smurro? NJ vice principal tosses beer at diner filming wife's transphobic rant on women bathrooms
SMITHVILLE, NEW JERSEY: A New Jersey middle school vice principal tossed his beer at restaurant-goers who attempted to record his wife who was ranting about trans woman using the washroom that is used by individuals who are assigned the gender female at birth. On Saturday, May 1, this vice principal was caught on camera doing the same, and the clip that is filled with hatred was shot at Ethel’s Lantern Light Restaurant and Tavern in Smithville.
She continues to complain to an employee that "a man" used the women's bathroom and the employee said that she will get her manager to look into the same. A woman diner sitting nearby then tells her to take her hate elsewhere and also pointed out that her behavior was inappropriate in the presence of other restaurant-goers.
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Who is Michael Smurro?
Michael is the husband of Lisa, the woman who had made transphobic comments. Lisa was captured as saying, "She’s a man, she was in the woman’s bathroom." She also said the same to the employee, “She’s a man.” In response to the diner who told her to take her hate elsewhere, Lisa continues, "She’s a man," and as she held her beer, she asked, "How are you OK with this? What is wrong with everybody?” It is at this point that Michael who is seen in a superman t-shirt and a cap approaches the woman who was filming his wife and tosses his beer on her. He then says, "Here you go, pal." He then snarls, "There you go. There you go.”
He is the vice-principal of Neptune Middle School and after he tossed the beer he tried to confront the man who was sitting with the woman diner who had recorded Lisa's rant. He said, "Now you can come out, now you can come out, come on,” and added, “That’s what I thought, as soon we went there, you’d be zero. That’s what I thought. I’m right here.” After this, another diner at the restaurant claimed that they were attacked by Michael and urged people nearby to call the cops. NY Post quoted the woman who was doused in beer as saying, "She literally just started going off, loud as hell, without cause." This woman, who identified herself as just Carrie, explained, "It was overall a completely disgusting experience.” She then recalled, “[Michael Smurro] assaulted a table with a child at it. He should not be working with children. His wife should especially be far, far away from children.”
Lisa however said, "When the restaurant told me they had an appropriate bathroom, that’s when I really was very upset," adding, "This is my business. We were out for a nice Saturday afternoon and we don’t appreciate being videotaped." Lisa also told BreakingAC.com, "This all began because somebody was in a bathroom that they shouldn’t have been in,” and added, “He, she, whatever it was that day, it came into the women’s bathroom that they shouldn’t have." However, no call was made to the police confirmed Galloway Township Police Lt. Chris McGinty.
District officials said that this incident is being investigated by the Neptune Township School District. Superintendent Dr Tami Crader said, "This event is troubling as its perception potentially threatens the social-emotional well-being and climate of belonging that our Neptune School District community represents," and added that administrators are "taking this matter seriously".
Michael has also responded with an apology and said that he let his emotions get the better of him. He said, "I do not condone violence or discrimination of any kind and should have simply walked away," and added, "I apologize to the person I threw my beer at and wish I hadn’t done so. I apologize to anyone I offended."