Chili cook-off heats up after drunk businessman attacks gay farmers

Homophobia marred a northern California chili cook-off last week, when a drunk local business owner allegedly directed a barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at the owner and employees of another before running over their supplies with his vehicle.

In social media posts earlier this week, the owners of Foggy Bottoms Boys, an organic dairy farm located in Northern California’s Eel River Valley, said their employees “were subjected to hurtful and offensive gay slurs” while participating in the Humboldt County Fair’s annual chili cook-off last Thursday.

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Foggy Bottoms Boys is owned by married couple Thomas and Cody Nicholson Stratton. Thomas told the North Coast Journal that, when he arrived at the cook-off, his employees told him that LoCo Fish Company owner Jayme Knight, whose company had a booth nearby, had been using anti-gay slurs to refer to Foggy Bottoms Boys. As Thomas told local paper the Times-Standard, the hateful comments grew progressively worse as the day went on.

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“Oh, that’s so gay. You should be over there. With the f*ggy bottoms boys,” Thomas recalled hearing from the nearby station where the LoCo Fish Company was also competing in the cook-off.

Thomas said that other members of Knight’s team tried to quiet him down throughout the event. While the comments and slurs weren’t directed at anyone in particular, Knight made them loudly enough for others to hear, Thomas added. Thomas felt concerned about what his 4-year-old son, who was visiting the Foggy Bottoms Boys booth, might hear.

While they did not name Knight in their social media posts, the Nicholson Strattons claimed that after the contest, “the owner of this company damaged our supplies by running over several boxes of supplies while moving forward and then backing into our new tent and burner.”

“This reckless action could have resulted in harm to individuals present including our son,” the couple’s post read.

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A post shared by Cody & Thomas (@foggybottomsboys)

Knight told the North Coast Journal that while he admitted to using anti-LGBTQ+ slurs, he “had zero intention of running over” their supplies. Knight claimed that he was trying to make a three-point turn in his vehicle and did not see the supplies and equipment. He also claimed that he did not direct his hateful comments directly at anyone in the Foggy Bottoms Boys booth, and was not aware that his company’s booth was next to theirs.

As Lost Coast Outpost reported on Monday morning, Ferndale Police Chief Ron Sligh confirmed that LoCo Fish Company owner Jayme Knight was arrested at the cook-off for driving while intoxicated after backing his vehicle into boxes belonging to another company. Sligh said that allegations of hate speech, which Knight has not denied, were still under investigation.

“There have been a number of people who’ve called up [to report that],” Slight said. “We did talk to one of the subjects involved, and we’re still looking into that aspect.”

Knight told the North Coast Journal, “God, I regret my actions so much. I don’t know what to say; I don’t have any excuses. I had too much to drink and my judgement got the better of me.”

“I really don’t have any hatred at all toward the LGBTQ community at all,” he added. “I’m just trying to wrap my mind around how it got so out of control. I need to really work on myself; I need to go to rehab and therapy.”

On Monday, LoCo Fish Company’s Instagram account posted several comments on the Foggy Bottoms Boys account’s post concerning the encounter.

“I’m extremely sorry for our actions,” the first comment read.

Responding to other comments, LoCo Fish Company said that they intend to pay for all damages, that they had messaged Foggy Bottoms Boys with an apology, and that they would be issuing a public apology as well. “We are NOT anti-LGBTQ in any shape or form,” the company wrote.

On Tuesday, Knight posted an apology to his company’s Instagram account.

“I deeply regret my actions at the chili cook off last week,” Knight wrote. “I am sorry for using language that was hurtful. It was an accident running of the box of marrow bones and not intentional. I am truly sorry. It pains me that I let my community down. My actions were inappropriate due to alcohol. They do not represent how my employees feel or how I feel in my heart. I’m stepping away from the company for rehab and to take this as an opportunity to learn and grow. I’m committed to doing the work and strive to be a better person. I have let people down and I am sorry.”

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A post shared by LoCo Fish Co. (@locofishco)

Thomas told North Coast Journal that while he felt was important to acknowledge the incident, “We’re not out to share the misfortunes of someone else’s ailments and challenges.”