The CEO of a telemedicine company was quickly identified and criticized after a viral video appeared to show him accosting a male high school senior for choosing to wear a dress to his prom – ultimately costing the man his job.
VisuWell CEO Sam Johnson found himself trending on social media on Monday after the video prompted many activists to accuse him of homophobia and harassment.
In the footage, filmed in Tennessee and originally posted to TikTok, high school senior Daniel Stevens tells Johnson, who is not named in the video, that he “chose” what he wanted to wear and Johnson can “f**k off.” Stevens is seen wearing a red dress.
Johnson then follows Stevens and tells him he looks like “an idiot.” At one point, he appears to try and push away the camera recording him, but misses. Towards the end of the exchange, people can be heard pleading with Johnson to “stop.”
“It’s a special night,” one says to Johnson.
Stevens then says he’s “gorgeous,” to which Johnson replies, “are you?”
Sam Johnson, homophobic CEO of @VisuWell, is about to go through some things.
Johnson’s name, the city he resides in, and his job were quickly identified and spread on social media as critics blasted the 46-year-old for his behavior.
“If this is Sam Johnson in Nashville, Tennessee, the CEO of @VisuWell, healthcare-tech-growth strategist, married to Jill Johnson where they may reside in Franklin, Tennessee, it seems like he’s dying to be online famous,” liberal comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted.
With zero evidence, we're told that trans women are somehow a public safety threat. Meanwhile, cis men like Sam Johnson, CEO of @VisuWell, are harassing LBGTQ children in public. https://t.co/havw9QN1Ys
Johnson’s ‘Meet the CEO’ page on the VisuWell website was pulled amid the controversy, and his personal Twitter and Facebook accounts were deleted.
Later on Monday, the company announced that Johnson was ousted from the CEO position following a decision from its board, saying his actions “contradicted the high standards we set for ourselves in promoting the health of those who use our platform.”
“After investigating the matter and speaking to individuals involved, the VisuWell BOD has chosen to terminate Mr. Johnson from his position as CEO, effective immediately,” the firm said in a tweet, adding that its president and chief operating officer Gerry Andrady would take over in the meantime.
We unequivocally condemn the behavior exhibited by Sam Johnson in a recent video widely circulated on social media.
Post 2/4: After investigating the matter and speaking to individuals involved, the VisuWell BOD has chosen to terminate Mr. Johnson from his position as CEO, effective immediately. Gerry Andrady, our President and COO, will lead the company through this important time.
Prior to his termination, Johnson insisted in his own defense that his problem was not with Stevens’ dress, but rather the behavior of the teens in a public place.
Johnson told Newsweek that he was eating with his family and confronted the prom-goers about loudly cursing with children around.
“We had just sat down for dinner at this restaurant that we frequent, and I was returning from the restroom when I was presented with their loud cursing,” he said. “Making it about the dress was their idea and they edited out most of the exchange. I have no ill will towards anyone or their personal choices, so long as it does not harm me or my family.”
Video of the altercation was filmed by Stevens’ boyfriend, Jacob Geittman whose account of the story differs greatly from Johnson’s.
Geittman claims Johnson approached him and Stevens and immediately asked about the dress.
“This man comes up and he’s about an inch away from my boyfriend and he says, ‘What are you wearing?’ And he’s like, ‘A dress, why?’ And he’s like, ‘Why are you wearing that? You shouldn’t be wearing that,’” he said. He also claimed Johnson was removed from the building by hotel staff, but Johnson denies this and says he left of his own volition.
Geittman also claims they were told the police were being called on the “obviously drunk” Johnson, though it’s unclear if the police were ever actually called.
Some critics also dug into Johnson’s Twitter history, looking for more controversy. Though he deleted the account, screenshots were taken and published. In the tweets, Johnson criticizes “mask-theater.” His bio also had the preferred pronouns “thee/thou/thine,” along with a laughing face emoji.
The Tennessee Holler, a left-leaning local news website, also came forward to accuse Johnson of making “homophobic” comments to them on social media.
Looks like @sjohnsontn of @VisuWell (who has hopped in our mentions many times to be homophobic but has now deleted his account) appears to have now done some real-life homophobia to some young men at a prom in Nashville 👇🏽🏳️🌈
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