The man wore the hood the day after San Diego County's face-covering requirement went into effect, KSWB reported. The measure requires residents to cover their nose and mouth when they come within 6 feet of others.
According to Melissa Hill, a corporate spokeswoman for the grocery chain, clerks at the Santee grocery store repeatedly asked the shopper to remove the hood or leave, the newspaper reported.
According to Hill, a supervisor confronted the man in the checkout line and again asked him to remove the hood or leave. The man complied, bought his items and left, the Union-Tribune reported.
Photos posted on Facebook by shopper Tiam Tellez were later shared on Twitter by Tammy Gillies, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in San Diego.
John Minto, the mayor of Santee, said in a statement that the shopper's attire was "a symbol of hatred."
“The citizens and Vons employees took steps to address the situation. Many thanks to all who stepped forward to curtail this sad reminder of intolerance,” Minto wrote. “Santee, its leaders, and I will not tolerate such behavior. Santee and its citizens are great, and this particular individual’s actions are not representative of us as a people and a wonderful city.”
“The images I’ve seen are abhorrent,” County Supervisor Diane Jacobs said in a statement. “This blatant racism has no place in Santee or any part of San Diego County. It is not who we are. It is not what we stand for and can’t be tolerated.”
Through the years, the city of Santee has worked to overcome a legacy of racially motivated attacks, the Union-Tribune reported. The incidents, along with skinhead activity, led to the nicknames "Klantee" and "Santucky."
The store's employees are represented by a chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers union. Chapter president Todd Walters told KNSD that the store workers "work their butts off to keep Santee residents stocked up and I know that this person does not speak for the community."
“I am disgusted with this behavior,” Walters told the television station. “It’s bad enough that our members must risk their health every day but to deal with this?”
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