Attack on Japanese to Be Investigated

The Los Angeles County and Orange County Human Relations commissions plan to investigate an alleged attack on a Gardena woman and her two Japanese friends at a Red Onion restaurant in Huntington Beach.

The three women were speaking Japanese at the nightclub June 15 when a group of unidentified white women told them to speak English and then pushed, punched and kicked them, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, who called for the joint investigation.

Hahn called the incident “a clear violation of the civil rights of the Japanese women.”

The incident was reported to the Huntington Beach police, but no suspects were identified. The commissions, which issue advisory opinions, will look into the alleged attack and the restaurant chain’s overall policies for addressing discrimination and harassment.