Nashville CEO Fired After Publicly Harassing Gay Teen For Wearing A Dress To Prom! – PerezHilton.com

That’s what you get when you showcase your homophobic actions, d**k!

The CEO of a telehealth technology firm was given the boot after he went viral for harassing a gay teen who was wearing a dress for prom. According to multiple reports, Sam Johnson was fired from his position at VisuWell after footage of his nasty exchange with Dalton Stevens (pictured above) at the Harpeth Hotel on Saturday made the rounds on social media.

The video, which was recorded by Steven’s boyfriend, Jacob Geittman, shows the 46-year-old businessman following a clearly upset Stevens and hurling homophobic insults at the 18-year-old. Johnson can be heard saying:

“You look like an idiot.”

When the teen retorts that he’s “gorgeous,” (yes you are, henny!) Johnson mockingly responds “are you?” The tech mogul then tries to knock the phone from Geittman’s hand, seemingly hitting Stevens in the arm in the process. Geittman posted the video to TikTok, and it went viral after it was tweeted by Kathy Griffin, who also identified Johnson and his wife.

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. ????‍♀️????️‍????????‍♀️ https://t.co/GPYOYBQywv

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) April 26, 2021

For his part, Johnson denied the allegations despite the footage, claiming the teens had been using vulgar language around families and children, and that the video was edited.

Related: Kate Winslet Knows ‘At Least 4’ Actors Who Haven’t Come Out Due To ‘Homophobia’ In Hollywood

But his former place of work wasn’t buying it: VisuWell released a statement saying they had fired Johnson shortly after the video went viral, noting:

“We unequivocally condemn the behavior exhibited by Sam Johnson in a recent video widely circulated on social media. After investigating the matter and speaking to individuals involved, the VisuWell Board of Directors has chosen to terminate Mr. Johnson from his position as CEO, effective immediately.”

Later, Geittman posted a TikTok insisting that Johnson had approached the pair and hurled homophobic slurs at them, sharing:

“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.’”

Geittmann said Johnson, who appeared drunk, kept mocking Stevens, saying he looked “disgusting” and “ridiculous” and that “men shouldn’t be wearing this.”

As for Johnson’s claims that he was merely trying to curb the group’s alleged foul language, Stevens told Newsweek:

“We never had any type of vulgar language until this gentleman approached and started harassing us.”

Dia Morgan, Stevens’s mother, told NBC News her son was shaken up the next day when they spoke. She said they discussed the vulgar language he allegedly used in the confrontation, but noted her son had “every bit of courage” for standing up for himself. She explained:

“If you let people like this guy continue to do this, then that’s how you beat people’s spirits. I mean, I’m incredibly proud of my son… [but] It’s heartbreaking for a mother.”

Hopefully this serves as a lesson to all the homophobic dinosaurs out there: evolve faster, or keep your outdated opinions to yourself! And to everyone else: wear what makes you feel good!

it was my beautiful boyfriend wearing the dress but I’m more than happy to share some pics!! pic.twitter.com/DmSdG4uOKj

— Jacob Geittmann (@jacobgeittmann2) April 26, 2021

[Image via WKRN]