After launching a racist attack against his Lyft driver, a proud gay Trump supporter has reportedly found himself out of a job.
Shawn Pepas Lettman is a Lyft driver from Brooklyn. Last weekend, he became the target of a racist attack by passenger who refused to get out of his car. His abuser has since been identified as Robert Ortiz.
It all started when Ortiz demanded Lettman change the music in his car. Lettman declined the request and Ortiz became irate. For nearly 20 minutes, he proceeded to scream racial slurs at Lettman and refused to get out of the car until he was refunded his $8.01 for the ride and police arrived so he could make Lettman’s night “a living hell.”
Lettman recorded the whole thing and later uploaded it to social media, where it quickly went viral.
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After Ortiz recited his name and phone number on the video, internet sleuths did some digging. It was quickly discovered that he worked for an urgent care center called CityMD.
According to the CityMD’s Facebook page, it offers “compassionate, friendly medical care you have been searching for. With average wait times of 8 minutes, you’ll have more time to feel better.”
(Eight minutes is less than half the amount of time Orbitz spent verbally abusing Lettman while holding him hostage in his car.)
The facility’s Facebook page was quickly bombarded with dozens of negative reviews calling out Ortiz’s behavior:
CityMD quickly issued a response:
CityMD first became aware of this incident when this video went viral on Friday evening. The conduct in the video was wholly unrelated to CityMD operations and did not occur at a CityMD facility. We don’t condone this kind of behavior in any way. This individual is no longer affiliated with CityMD.
But this may not be true. Some are claiming Ortiz wasn’t actually fired from CityMD but was instead placed on a paid five day suspension.
Meanwhile, Lettman launched a GoFundMe page after having his Lyft account suspended because of the incident. (It has since been reinstated.) So far, he was raised over $25,000.
“I just wanted everyone to know that I really appreciate all your kind words and I really thank each and everyone for their donations,” he says. “All donations received will assist me in catching up on expenses such as rent and car payments.”
“Also I have heard some rumors about a lawsuit coming my way from the use of the video captured on my phone and I want to be fully prepared if that does happens.”
Queerty reached out to CityMD for clarification about Ortiz’s employment status with the organization but has not heard back yet.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. EST: CityMD has replied to Queerty’s request for clarification with the following response: “This is to confirm that this individual was terminated and is no longer employed by or affiliated with CityMD in any capacity.”
Related: Insufferable gay Trump supporter hurls racial slurs at Lyft driver, refuses to leave vehicle
Hussain-TheCanadian
Much love and respect to Shaun, the cabbie, for his restraint, patience, and gentlemanly behavior; no person deserves to be treated this way just because some crackhead parrot wanted to change the music – Shaun you deserve more than $25k.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Ortiz was acting beyond the Dbag….
But giving this situation a closer look, the driver may not be as much the innocent bystander as first thought….
Ortiz and friends were picked up at a GAY CLUB. Possibly they simply asked for the driver to put on music. He realizing they were Gay refused for just that reason. Uber and Lyft drivers are notoriously anti-Gay. There are dozens of verified incidents of Gays being thrown out of their card. Ortiz was acting the Dbag but possibly this whole episode was rooted in homophobia…
Kangol
Or he didn’t want to hear any music, because it’s his Lyft car.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Kangol: He is in a service position. A good portion of his income is derived from tips. Usually anything to make the rider happy will be obliged to ensure better tips. Your reply is nonsensical…….
romerocyn
There are a lot of assumptions in your latter conclusion. Ortiz could not have been more of an AH. Just get out of the cab, find another one, go home and shut up. He is really striving for his 15 minutes of fame, but not in a good way.
Kangol
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS, the driver may be in a service position, but his job is to carry the passengers from where he picks them up to their destination. Not play music, have a conversation or anything. He was polite even in the midst of the abuse, in case you missed it or didn’t watch the entire video, which I did. If that means no tips, that’s on him. But it doesn’t brook the kind of racist and homophobic abuse–the dizzy monster in the rear called him a “f*ggot” on top of using the n-word–as well as near physical threats he endured, so if you’re trying to justify that BS, then sorry but GTFOH.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
KANGOL: Go away. You aren’t intelligent enough to comprehend what I wrote. The driver could very possibly have denied the request for the radio to be turned in due to homophobia. There are dozens of verified instances of Uber and Lyft drivers tossing Gay fares out of their cars. Ortiz was a Dbag but it might have been instigated by the driver.
So how’s about you do us all a favor and go away…
Jimmyk321
You’re an absolute moron. If he man was homophobic, why would he pick up a customer from a gay club? He would have just refused. It isn’t his job to entertain entitled douchebags during the journey. He’s a Lyft driver, not an entertainer. You’re either a complete moron or – nevermind, there’s no ‘or’ you’re just a moron for defending this behaviour.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
JimmyK: what are you 5? You can’t post an intelligent reply without childish, immature name calling?
Chase Winstead
If you were intelligent enough to read the actual article, it clearly states that Ortiz asked the driver to CHANGE his music, not put on some music.. And Ortiz wasn’t about to tip the driver music or not. His little rant and actually calling the police over the situation shows him to be idiot that seems to believe he’s privileged and that being a drunken fool gives him carte blanche to attempt to intimidate others…
GayNotStupid
As someone who drivers part-time for Lyft, it is in our instructions to make the customer comfortable, including light conversation and music choice.
I watched the video. I would never want what happened to this driver to happen to me. I do not agree with everything that Ortiz did in the video, but he wasn’t asking for anything out of normal business policy from the driver.
I DO NOT AGREE with all his slurs. I would like to know what the conversation was before the video started.
Be a Gay Trump voter is just stupid (IMO); can’t fix that.
1898
you weren’t there. everything you wrote is speculation. and to accuse this man of homophobia, with no proof, is libel.
fooloof
Your post is rampant speculation and has zero basis and anything even remotely resembling fact. In any case, had the driver done something that could be considered meritorious of this type of response, then then the 911 caller certainly would have mentioned that in his extremely long winded rant
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
GayNotStupid:. Exactly Ortiz went so far over Dbag territory with his antics and nonsense. However the driver is being lauded and financially rewarded for just sitting there. He knew he was picking up people at a GAY bar. I can’t see why so many on this thread comment like it was Ghandi sitting at the wheel.
When in all probability this genesis of this whole saga was caused by HOMOPHOBIA
Harless
“When in all probability this genesis of this whole saga was caused by HOMOPHOBIA” WHAT!? It could have been homophobia, but since no-one saw or heard what was happening before the video. How can you say it “probably” was homophobia? Even Mr. Ortiz description of the problem provides no context for that assumption. He was abruptly told no. There was no mention of bigotry or slurs uttered by Mr. Lettman.
Is it strange that he refused to play music? Sure. But we don’t know that he doesn’t refuse everyone. And considering Mr. Ortiz’s response, it’s hard to believe he nicely, requested music and didn’t start with attitude. Dude is an entitled prick.
Many ride-sharing drivers are homophobic (so are most Trump supporters), but just assuming someone is without any context or evidence is just serving up a stereotype and being a bigot. I just donated to Mr. Lettmen because of your comments.
erzulimami
It very clear from the video that Ortiz has a color/ethnic entitlement problem — and he is the only person to make a homophobic statement on the video, calling the driver a f****t. That he continues to say Lettman is “racist,” (a verbal projection) and he and friends (who are obviously mixed race) make repeated references to being American citizens, speaks to the real motivation of the riders: how dare “that n****r” refuse “us”. Some of Ortiz’s statements taken from the video:
‘I feel racially profiled … because I’m not black. If this guy does anything to threaten my life, I have to defend myself. … I’m a little fearful.’
‘Tell me why I’m in a Lyft and the n****r pulled over. The n****r’s recording me.’
‘We’re waiting for the police because this f*****t charged me.’
‘All that Black Lives Matter is bulls***. I bet you if I was black — and Black Lives Matter he would have put the music on. F*** Black Lives Matter — every life matters … all I asked for was music.’
For Ortiz, attempting to get Lettman in trouble was an easy set up: obfuscate his own ethnic identity by inferring he is “white” (mentioning he is gay and American) and feeling vaguely intimidated by a “black” who is genetically pre-disposed to violence.
Homophobia is real — but it isn’t more real than racism or color entitlement, and sometimes the two conflate in the ugliest of ways. Your comments, however, belittle both.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
HARLESS: I said probably the driver was homophobic because of countless documented incidents of blatent homophobia from those drivers. Including a personal experience where my one and only Lyft experience because my friend was very flamboyant the driver refused to allow him into the car. Congratulations you most likely gave Gay dollars to someone who good chance would like u dead!!
Letusbegin78
I’m hay and a lyft driver, I’ve denied people plenty of times.. some people wanted to listen to hardcore rap.. some house music, and some weird island crap.. they’ve gotten into my car bumpin it loudly through their phones.. they ask if they could play it.. I told them no.. it’s not always about the tips.. I really dont want to hear the crap.. I’ve got my r&b playing.. or the news.. you can ask me to turn it down.. but I’m not turning it off for your shit..
a_blk_nrd
@plays wells with others: we don’t see what has happened before but I doubt it was homophobia. If it was a case of homophobia, I’m sure that the other two passengers would be just as upset as Ortiz but they don’t seem as upset as Ortiz does.
Also, your logic of “he is homophobic because other Uber/Lyft drivers have been” is flawed. Because using that same logic, I can claim that your are biased against black men because other posters (unrelated to this post) have shown their biases against black men before. So let’s look at the evidence the video shows and make judgements based on that.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
A_blk_nrd: I don’t know how you plucked racism against Blacks out of my post…..What I will say and there is no denying the fact is EVERY ONE (including one I experienced) of drivers who have harrased Gay passengers is either Black or Mid Eastern from another country.
My message to them: I was born Gay. Don’t come to my country and spew your bigotry and hatred towards Gays.
You CHOSE to be a vile, noxious, filthy piece of subhuman be garbage. .
HighStrungLoner
@PWWO So, you’re logic is “Some Lyft drivers are homophobic, therefore this Lyft driver is probably homophobic, too?” Please. I’m going to take a wild guess here and say that off the thousands of ride-sharing drivers in NYC, most are probably not homophobic. On the other hand, the passenger was clearly and actually racist, going by the actual evidence in the video.
armandov
The rider’s actions were horrific but I’m wondering why the driver never said anything? We didn’t he defend his position?
Kangol
Perhaps because he realized that letting the racist little dirtbag and his friends do all the squawking would be the better route to take in the end. Because of all of his racist screeching, Ortiz talked himself into infamy and out of a job. Also, the Lyft driver was under no obligation to play Ortiz’s music or any music.
romerocyn
How was he horrfic? He took the higher road and did not respond to this idiot and his friends. You might have noticed that he was outnumbered and did not want to escalate anything, thus risking possible injury. If he did anything wrong, then the behavior of the rider and friends was more than a “payback.” What a waste of the services of the police. They have real issues to deal with. Maybe they enjoyed the jcomic relief provided by the over the top performance by Ortiz. Not sure the employer should be held responsible for the off duty of an employee.
fooloof
Because the driver is smart enough to know that there’s no point in trying to reason with someone who is clearly unreasonable (which is putting it mildly).
ryuichi
The driver deserves the Nobel Prize for peace. I doubt I would have been able to “contain” myself, as he was able to do.
Geo
I called his number but it was disconnected! Hahaha! I hope his life is miserable after this!
Craig
First of all, you can’t be racist against gay people. Gay is not a race. Obviously we don’t know the whole story, but I don’t see how not playing music is a problem. A driver’s job is to get you from point A to point B. Not to play you music. But most importantly, what a waste of police time. Someone could really need help and this man is taking up the line whining about his $8 silent ride.
Jimmyk321
Yeah what a waste of police time. It’s not like he fell asleep at Yale’s campus or had a BBQ in a public area or anything, jeez.
Esscourt
There are assholes a plenty in New York City.
misterjack
I’m glad that douchebag racist got fired from his job. Actions have consequences.