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Michigan Orchard Owner ‘Very Sorry’ for Racist Outburst Against Muslim Family

The mea culpa came nearly two weeks after the incident, which has sparked a federal lawsuit over the way a Muslim man was treated by the owner.

The white owner of a Michigan orchard has issued an apology after claiming every Muslim “steals” from him and admitting that he was a racist. On the Erie Orchards and Cider Mills Facebook page Tuesday, Steve Elzinga told Joe Mahmoud and his family that he was sorry for his “remarks and actions” on Aug. 13. “I am very sorry,” Elzinga wrote. “As a family business we have made a conscious effort to be a welcoming place for all in an often fractured world, and Sunday’s incident, sadly, did not reflect that. What occurred does not align with my values, beliefs, and heart of inclusion for everyone. I sincerely regret this and offer my deepest apologies.” Elzinga didn’t specify which actions he was sorry for, but as previously reported by The Daily Beast, Elzinga barged in to the family’s car demanding payment for peaches another orchard employee implied would be free because they were probably rotten. Then, after Mahmoud returned the rotten peaches, Elzinga stood in front of the family’s car to prevent them from leaving until they paid their bill. In an earlier interview, Elzinga said he responded the way he did to the Muslim family because he “was at [his] wit’s end.” Mahmoud has filed a federal lawsuit against the orchard.