Grand Haven leaders, residents condemn racist harassment of local business owner by teens
City officials and residents are demanding accountability after a local Black business owner was targeted with racial slurs and antisemitic audio by a group of local youth.
GRAND HAVEN — City officials and residents are demanding accountability after a local Black business owner was targeted with racial slurs and antisemitic audio by a group of local youth.
The incident, which took place on Sunday, May 24, at Mirthy Emporium on Washington Avenue, has sparked community outrage and prompted calls for systemic action against an "ugly undercurrent of racism" in the lakeside city, MLive reported Thursday.
According to a social media post by store owner Leiko Bergers, a group of local boys hijacked a speaker inside her shop, moved it into a common hallway, and blasted hate speech — including "Heil Hitler" and anti-Black racial slurs — on repeat.
Bergers, who is Black, sells a variety of items at her store, including crystals, stones, apparel and plants.
"One of the phones controlling it was hidden, so I couldn’t even stop it immediately," Bergers wrote, adding that the volume caused the slurs to echo throughout the building's hallway and stairwell.
Grand Haven Public Safety Director Nichole Hudson confirmed that the suspects have since been identified. The case has been forwarded for juvenile referral on all applicable charges. Although Hudson noted that no prior racially charged incidents had been reported at the business, she acknowledged that patrol officers are actively tracking a recent uptick in youth-led disruptive behavior and vandalism downtown.
"We are committed to the safety, and we’ll do whatever we can to continue to make sure that the city of Grand Haven is not defined by this one moment," Hudson said.
Community outrage, council response
The targeted harassment brought a crowd of concerned citizens to Monday's Grand Haven City Council meeting.
Resident Jane Stoker presented a formal letter to council members, the Downtown Development Authority and the Human Relations Commission on behalf of a coalition of local residents.
Stoker challenged the city’s idyllic image, noting that while Grand Haven is celebrated for its beaches and boardwalk, the incident exposes a darker reality. She also pointed out that the vitriol continued online, with social media users posting comments condoning the teens' actions.
"This is a gross attack on human rights and on a person living and working in our community," Stoker said, urging city leadership to issue a formal public condemnation and look deeper into local prejudice.
City officials echoed the community's disgust during the meeting:
Council Member Mike Fritz strongly rejected the behavior.
"What happened at Mirthy was not Grand Haven," and urged residents to adopt a "see something, say something" approach.
Council Member Mike Dora emphasized that racism is entirely unacceptable in the community and called on public safety officers to remain aggressive in monitoring youth misconduct.
Mayor Bob Monetza closed by reinforcing the city’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, acknowledging a broader pattern of youth misbehavior but drawing a hard line at hate speech.
"The racial part of it is not tolerable to us," Monetza said. "We have to speak out against it... and we stand beside those who are offended, oppressed, or put down in any way."
The suspects are currently barred from the property without parental supervision while the legal process moves forward.
— Sarah Leach is the executive editor of the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at sleach@ottawanewsnetwork.org. Follow her on Twitter @ONNLeach.
