Coin & Treasure Owner Removes Controversial Sign After Receiving Backlash on Social Media

A controversial sign posted on the door of a Lafayette business has sparked public outrage amongst locals on social media.

Coin & Treasure Owner Removes Controversial Sign After Receiving Backlash on Social Media

UPDATE: The owner of Coin & Treasure in Lafayette has reportedly removed the controversial sign after receiving criticism over the viral message posted on the front door of his business barring "Chinese Communist MoFos" from entering.

Leslie Bourque posted a photo of a sign displayed on the front door of Coin & Treasure located at 2472 W Congress St in Lafayette. Our team confirmed in person that the sign is indeed taped to the door from the inside and states that "Coin & Treasure proudly refuses admittance to any Chinese Communist MoFo."

"Mofo" is common slang for the expletive "mother f***er."

Bourque says the original photo was originally taken by Kim Belew and she sent a friend over to confirm its authenticity before posting the image to her wall. Almost instantly, comments poured in from people who were disgusted and outraged. Some people were in such disbelief that they couldn't fathom how something so blatantly xenophobic could be posted in plain view.

Belew says she went to Coin & Treasure to buy a 2021 Silver Eagle when she saw the sign that upset her.

Just as quickly as Bourque's post started to get shared, negative reviews began appearing on the official Coin & Treasure Facebook page.

Judy Broussard was one of the many commenters who said they have shopped at the local Lafayette business before but vowed to never do business with Coin & Treasure again after seeing the sign.

I purchased coins from this company a couple of times!! They will never get my business again!!!

While there were multiple calls for a boycott, many users took things a step further and reported the local business to Stop AAPI Hate, a website that was set up for communities to stand united against racism as hate against Asian American Pacific Islander communities has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other eyewitnesses say the sign has been up for some time now, which was later confirmed in a comment on the post by CBS This Morning Lead National Correspondent David Begnaud who says he spoke with the store owner, Luis Pizzolatto.

He says he put the sign up a year ago, during COVID, as a way of criticizing the Chinese communist party. I spoke to him about the rise in attacks against Asians in the United States. He said “I hate that. I despise that.”

Begnaud says he asked Pizzolatto if he was going to take the sign down and he told him that he "probably will." because he didn't want his "employees to have problems with it" but reiterated that his feelings against the Chinese communist party remain the same.

Comments continue to pour in on Bourque's post with locals expressing their shock and disgust as the shares continue to spread like wildfire. One commenter says she was brought to tears at the thought of any Asian-Americans workers that would have to see the sign as a part of their job.

I’m on the verge of tears. Imagine the Asian delivery drivers who have to go into this store because of their job. The level of suck it up people have to endure to live amongst these a**holes is unreal.

This is a developing story and we will update it with more information as it becomes available.