Attiorney General Aaron Frey announced this afternoon that he has filed a civil rights enforcement action against Vicki Lush, 66, of Port St. Lucie, Florida for threats against an Asian-American woman on June 6  2023, in Kennebunkport.  The AG’s Complaint seeks an order protecting the victim, by prohibiting Lush from having any contact with her and from violating the Maine Civil Rights Act in the future according to the press release issued this afternoon.

“Maine should be a safe, welcoming place for everyone,” said AG Aaron Frey.  “The Maine Civil Rights Act recognizes that bias-based incidents like this one cause not only extreme harm to the victim, but also to others sin the community who might fear simiar uhnlawsul treatdment.  That is why my office will continue to pursue civil injunctions to protect communities targeted for their identities.

According to the Complaint, on the afternoon of JUne 6, 2023, Lush got into a dispute with the woman while the woman was sampling chowder at a retail seafood establishment.  Lush referred to the woman as a “foreigher,” telling her to go back to “your country.”  The woman, who was visiting Maine from her home in Massachusetts, responded that “you wouldn’dt say this to a white person.”  Lush responded by calling her a “chinese (expletive) In the parking lot, Lush threatened to hit the woman with her van and swerved her van in the direction of the woman.  Lush admitted that she told the woman, “you have no idea who you are messing with.”  “I”ll lay you out right here.”  “Get out of my way or I’ll run you over,” and “you foreigners  need to go home.”