Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
CEO Resigns After Racist Rant to Fresno Bar Server Caught on Video
gvw_nancy_price
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 4 years ago on
July 10, 2020

Share

Jason Wood, the chief executive officer of a Florida-based digital marketing company, resigned Friday after his racist rant at a Fresno tavern went viral on social media.

“Due to recent events, Actionable Insights is announcing the resignation of Mr. Jason Wood as our Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately,” the company said on its website. “This is a direct result of his recent unacceptable actions which are not representative of our core values.


Listen to this article:


“During this time of progressive social change, we are committed to ensure our company embodies a spirit of equality and respect for all people. On behalf of Mr. Wood and Actionable Insights, we extend our deepest apologies. It is our hope that we can move forward, and our reputation for integrity and excellence will navigate us through this difficult time.”

The original story:

Rebecca Hernandez has been working in customer service jobs for more than 10 years, but her shift Tuesday night at a Fig Garden Village tavern was her “No. 1 worst day ever” when she had to contend with an apparently intoxicated customer who assaulted her with racial slurs and profanity when she refused to keep serving him.

“You’re a dark-haired dumbass, sand-n—-r motherf—-r,” the customer ranted at her as she asked him to leave the premises.

Hernandez, 28, said she had grown fearful of what the customer might do, especially since the bar contained no other customers, so she began recording their encounter.

The man identified himself on the video as Jason Wood with Actionable Insights “and five other digital marketing firms.” He wore a shirt with a logo resembling that of an online marketing company with that name headquartered in Pennsylvania with branches in Ohio and Florida.

“We’re a full-service digital marketing firm that uses our technical know-how to give businesses the internet traffic they need in order to grow. We’re also the largest digital company in the region,” the company website said.

“You’re going to be on the internet,” Hernandez told Wood during their exchange, to which he responded, “No honey, I drive the internet.”

Video Goes Viral

The video, which Hernandez posted to her Instagram account, was shared repeatedly across social media platforms on Wednesday.

GV Wire attempted to contact Wood on Wednesday evening but was unsuccessful. The company’s Twitter account has been closed and the company website was taken down after the video was shared. A cached version from August 2019 lists Jason Wood as the company’s president and CEO.

Wood confirmed he is the man in the video in an interview with The Fresno Bee.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rebecca Hernandez (@beccahhrose) on

Hernandez said she has been working at Out of the Barrel Taproom since January, shortly after she moved to Fresno from Salinas. She was working with another employee Tuesday night when Wood became irate after she said he was intoxicated and could no longer be served.

Wood had been refusing to wear a mask all evening even though she continued to ask him to do so, saying variously that he forgot to wear one, didn’t believe in COVID-19, and simply “this is stupid.”

Wood asked her if she was Armenian or from Iran or Saudi Arabia. “I am racially ambiguous, so a lot of people are confused by me,” she said Wednesday.

Employees Are Isolated Indoors

But after he was asked to close out his tab, Wood became so belligerent that Hernandez said she feared for her safety and that of her co-worker, both petite women. So, she pulled out her smart phone to record the encounter.

COVID-19 has increased risks for service employees, Hernandez said.  Under current rules for bars and restaurants, customers are required to stay outdoors, leaving fewer employees inside the establishment.

“We’re isolated — we’re an island,” she said.

Hernandez said she did call for Fig Garden security, and officers appeared during the incident but did not intervene immediately.

Experience Was Upsetting

After she called security, Wood said, “I’m leaving, don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about me, Saudi Arabia.”

When Hernandez asked if he was calling her Saudi Arabian, Wood said, “you’re f—–g stupid like they are.”

Wood then returned to an outside table with other members of his party, Hernandez said. He came back inside later and, apparently in an attempt to mollify her, offered her “hundreds of dollars,” which she refused.

The whole encounter left her shaken and in tears, and unable to sleep Tuesday night. She wasn’t scheduled to work Wednesday or Thursday, and said she hadn’t yet heard from her employers.

Hernandez said she’s “very, very, very, very supportive” of efforts to battle racism that have been sweeping across the nation. Having a firsthand experience with someone who assaulted her with racial slurs brought it home for her, she said.

“You never think it’s going to happen to you,” she said. “I believe he deserves to be held accountable.”

DON'T MISS

Fresno State Alum Is New Dean of Health and Human Services College

DON'T MISS

Who Is Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Congressman Donald Trump Picked to Serve as AG?

DON'T MISS

The Key Races to Watch: Nov. 13 Update

DON'T MISS

Feds Agree to Raise San Luis Reservoir: More Water for Farmers, Communities, Wetlands

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: What Impact Does Deportation Have on the Central Valley?

DON'T MISS

How Will Election Winners Bredefeld and Chavez Fit in as Supervisors?

DON'T MISS

California Senate Leader Calls Union ‘Morally Bankrupt’ for Opposing a Vulnerable Democrat

DON'T MISS

R&B Concerts, Comedy, & Worship Take Center Stage This Weekend

DON'T MISS

Speaker Mike Johnson Wins GOP Nomination to Remain in Job, Faces Full House Vote in New Year

DON'T MISS

ICE Immediately Moves to Bolster Surveillance of Illegal Immigrants After Trump Win

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: What Impact Does Deportation Have on the Central Valley?

UP NEXT

Republican John Thune of South Dakota Is Elected the Next Senate Majority Leader

UP NEXT

Fresno County Man Accused of Filing Fake Disability Claims in $300K Fraud Scheme

UP NEXT

Chris Wallace Is Leaving CNN, Eager to Explore New Media Landscape

UP NEXT

Clovis Serves Up a Special Day for Veterans and Community

UP NEXT

US Regulators Investigating Whether Engines on 1.4 Million Hondas Might Fail

UP NEXT

When to Catch the Last Supermoon of the Year

UP NEXT

Mattel Says It ‘Deeply’ Regrets Misprint on ‘Wicked’ Dolls Packaging That Links to Porn Site

UP NEXT

Trump to Target Iran’s Oil Trade in Renewed ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign

UP NEXT

4B Movement: After the Election, a Call for Women to Swear Off Men

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Feds Agree to Raise San Luis Reservoir: More Water for Farmers, Communities, Wetlands

4 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: What Impact Does Deportation Have on the Central Valley?

4 hours ago

How Will Election Winners Bredefeld and Chavez Fit in as Supervisors?

5 hours ago

California Senate Leader Calls Union ‘Morally Bankrupt’ for Opposing a Vulnerable Democrat

5 hours ago

R&B Concerts, Comedy, & Worship Take Center Stage This Weekend

6 hours ago

Speaker Mike Johnson Wins GOP Nomination to Remain in Job, Faces Full House Vote in New Year

6 hours ago

ICE Immediately Moves to Bolster Surveillance of Illegal Immigrants After Trump Win

6 hours ago

You Can Win a Lexus in This Fresno Telethon Drawing. Get Tickets Now.

7 hours ago

Trump Says He Will Nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to Be Attorney General

7 hours ago

Bluesky Has Added 1 Million Users Since the US Election as People Seek Alternatives to X

7 hours ago

Fresno State Alum Is New Dean of Health and Human Services College

From student to scholar to professor and department chair, Dr. Kara Zografos’ history with Fresno State dates back nearly 20 years. Now she ...

4 hours ago

4 hours ago

Fresno State Alum Is New Dean of Health and Human Services College

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP File)
4 hours ago

Who Is Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Congressman Donald Trump Picked to Serve as AG?

4 hours ago

The Key Races to Watch: Nov. 13 Update

4 hours ago

Feds Agree to Raise San Luis Reservoir: More Water for Farmers, Communities, Wetlands

Wired Wednesday Cover, 11/13/24, KMPH Screengrab
4 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: What Impact Does Deportation Have on the Central Valley?

5 hours ago

How Will Election Winners Bredefeld and Chavez Fit in as Supervisors?

5 hours ago

California Senate Leader Calls Union ‘Morally Bankrupt’ for Opposing a Vulnerable Democrat

6 hours ago

R&B Concerts, Comedy, & Worship Take Center Stage This Weekend

Search

Send this to a friend