NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee man who was fired from his position as CEO of a telemedicine company for remarks he made to a male student in a prom dress said he approached the teen due to his behavior, not his attire.
“They were being obnoxious and profane in one of my favorite restaurants. Many of us in the restaurant were appalled, and I was the only one willing to say something about it,” Sam Johnson told WKRN-TV.
Johnson was fired Monday from VisuWell after being captured on video making disparaging remarks to James Dalton Stevens, who was taking photos with a group of other teens Saturday before prom.
Stevens and his boyfriend, Jacob Geittmann, denied that they were “being obnoxiously loud or screaming profanities” in a statement to the news station.
“They were being obnoxious and profane in one of my favorite restaurants. Many of us in the restaurant were appalled, and I was the only one willing to say something about it."
“Before, during, or after the altercation, Johnson never mentioned our noise level or use of profanity to us or the chaperones,” the statement said.
Johnson said he stands for decency and morality and apologized to the teen for calling him an “idiot” in the video when responding to a question about how he looked in the dress.
Stevens told news outlets he wanted to make a statement with the dress but didn’t expect the kind of attention he got from Johnson.
“I definitely know that a man in a dress is going to get a lot of attention and that it’s going to be a focal point,” said Stevens, who was taking photos Saturday at a hotel in Franklin with his boyfriend when Johnson approached.
“Saying you look disgusting, you look ridiculous, you shouldn’t be wearing that, men should be wearing suits not dresses,” Stevens said about the comments Johnson made.
“I genuinely did not think that somebody in 2021 would come up to a person and say that,” he said.
VisuWell tweeted Monday that the termination was effective immediately and said the company unequivocally condemns Johnson’s behavior in the video.
“VisuWell’s culture emphasizes respect, kindness, and compassion, especially for those from traditionally marginalized communities, and we maintain a zero-tolerance policy for intolerance of any kind,” the statement said. “Mr. Johnson’s actions contradicted the high standards we set for ourselves in promoting the health of those who use our platform.”
“I genuinely did not think that somebody in 2021 would come up to a person and say that."
Geittman said it was wrong of Johnson to approach them.
“You can have your thoughts and opinions, (but) keep them to yourself,” Geittman said. “You don’t need to go up to a teenager, in public, on their prom night, and publicly shame and harass them for what they decided to wear.”
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
