Earlier today, it was reported that Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee was the victim of a racially-motivated attack in October while in Los Angeles taping Dancing with the Stars. In response Assistant Senate DFL Leader Foung Hawj (DFL-St. Paul), Senator Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove), and Senator John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) released the following joint statement.
“We are disgusted and appalled by this hateful act of violence against a cherished member of our community. Suni has been an inspiration to youth across the country with her contributions to gymnastics, and will continue to make an impact on the East Side of St. Paul where she grew up and continues to live.
“There is no place for these racially-motivated attacks in our society, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. In recent months, misinformation and hateful rhetoric have fueled an increase in attacks like this against Asian American Pacific Islander members of our community, and we must all speak out against it. It is up to each of us to work together to ensure every member of our community is safe.”