Florida marketing CEO resigns from firm after video of racial verbal assault at Fresno bar

JULY 7 UPDATE: Jason Wood has resigned from his position as chief executive officer of Actionable Insights, according to a statement posted Friday on the company website.

It read, in part: “This is a direct result of his recent unacceptable actions which are not representative of our core values. ...

“On behalf of Mr. Wood and Actionable Insights, we extend our deepest apologies.”

ORIGINAL STORY: A CEO from Florida insulted a local bartender multiple times during his business trip to Fresno, then proudly identified himself and his company before calling her a racial slur, video shows.

It happened Tuesday night at the Out of the Barrel Taproom in Fig Garden Village after employees informed Florida businessman Jason Wood that he had been cut off from purchasing alcohol and asked him to leave.

Wood, president and CEO of the digital marketing firm Actionable Insights, called Out of the Barrel bartender Rebecca Hernandez a “Sand (expletive) mother (expletive).”

Hernandez wrote on social media that she started video recording the incident because she felt uncomfortable and unsafe and “tasked with filming our own abuse to prove that it actually happened.” She posted the video with her comments on social media.

In a telephone interview Wednesday with The Bee, Wood admitted that he was drunk at the bar and expressed remorse for his behavior.

The video shows Wood apparently mocking Hernandez’s voice.

After Hernandez is heard making a phone call to request someone to come to the restaurant, Wood says: “I’m leaving. Don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about me, Saudi Arabia.”

When Hernandez asks what Wood said and if she was called Saudi Arabian, Wood replies: “You’re (expletive) stupid like they are.”

Hernandez once again tells Wood that he’s cut from being served alcohol.

She also wrote in her post that Wood, prior to the video recording, tried to “bribe” the Out of the Barrel staff and stated that he would “give us $100 if we just poured him a beer.”

The staff declined Wood’s offer, according to Hernandez.

“He, of course, did not like this,” Hernandez wrote. “Two female bartenders telling a middle-aged, white man he can’t have something he wants and he can’t buy it either must have really hurt his ego.”

Wood, after being told he was cut off, boasts that he could buy the restaurant and questions Hernandez’s intelligence for talking while he said he was trying to add a tip on the electronic bar bill.

When Hernandez asks the man for his name, he looks into the camera to identify himself and his business: “Jason ‘Mother (expletive) Wood. Actionable Insights.”

He then flips off the bartender.

Hernandez, in what seemed to be a sarcastic but calm tone, responds: “It’s been a pleasure serving you. You’ve been fantastic. I hope to never see you again.”

Wood was not done insulting Hernandez.

“You’re not smart enough to care,” Wood says in the video. “Dark-haired dumb ass.

“Sand (expletive) mother (expletive). And that’s fine. I’m leaving.”

Latest racist behavior caught on video

When Hernandez informs Wood that he’s going to be on the internet, he replies: “No honey, I drive the internet.”

Wood’s business, Actionable Insights, is a data-driven digital marketing firm that has offices in St Petersburg, Fla., and Sharon, Penn., and helps its clients identify and reach its targeted audience.

While it is unclear why Wood was in Fresno, his company does exclusive digital marketing for BFA Media, which took over operations of the radio station KKDJ in January. KKDJ broadcasts at 102.3 FM and 92.5 FM in Hanford and Lemoore.

Wood on Wednesday night told The Bee he was out with Fresno colleagues Tuesday night while visiting the Out of the Barrel restaurant for the first time.

Wood’s outburst is the latest incident of racist behavior caught on video and spread quickly on social media.

Last week, San Francisco tech CEO Michael Lofthouse was video recorded shouting vulgar and racist comments at an Asian family celebrating a birthday at a restaurant in Carmel Valley.

“See, without any indoor bar seating, there is no one around, and people have become more comfortable being their real self around us (bartenders),” Hernandez wrote while previously mentioning the state-mandated no-indoor dining rules in California due to the coronavirus pandemic. “For Jason Wood, it clearly is racist.

“As the CEO and President of Actionable Insights, there probably won’t be any consequences for his racist actions. But I hope sharing this can be a lesson to others: It doesn’t matter how much money or power you think you have, it clearly can’t buy you dignity.”

‘I’m not a racist’

Wood expressed remorse for his actions and explained that he “got hammered” and “blacked out.” He said he’d never had craft beer before and didn’t realize how quickly intoxicated he became.

“I feel awful about the whole thing,” Wood said. “We had seven or eight beers. It knocked me out. I don’t remember any of that. When I saw the video, my jaw just dropped. I was a jerk.

“I don’t talk to people like that. I’m not that type of guy. ... I’m not a racist. What I said didn’t even apply to her. I would’ve had a better grasp on the vernacular if I was a racist. I was that blacked-out drunk.”

Since the incident has caught many people’s attention, Wood’s business pages on the internet and social media have been shut down after several people posted negative comments.

Wood said he and his staff have tried to reach out to a person who claimed to be Hernandez’s brother and offer an apology. They had not been able to make contact with him.

Wood added that he did not want to call or visit the restaurant again because of the possibility of making Hernandez feel uncomfortable.

“I feel awful for the things that I said,” Wood said. “I’ve been the guy that shares stuff (on social media) when someone else has made racist comments. So I understand everyone’s reaction. I get it.

“But this was me doing something wrong. The business did nothing wrong. That was Jason with too much craft beer.”

‘No one deserves to be treated this way’

The Central California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Thursday condemned what Outreach Director Sukaina Hussain called a “sickening racist tirade.”

“To endanger the lives of the staff by not wearing a protective face mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and then to verbally attack them in such a heinous way is disturbing and appalling,” Hussain said.

“We are glad Ms. Hernandez caught the incident on video and documented the customer’s atrocious behavior. All of us must call out bigotry and hatred whenever and wherever we witness it.”

An email message for Out of the Barrel owner Evan Jaques was not returned Wednesday. On Thursday, a message on an Out of the Barrel social media account addressed the situation.

It read, in part: “We will not allow racist behavior, nor will we allow customers to abuse the laws and regulations that we are bound by. We stand behind our staff and will not turn a blind eye to these things.”

Hernandez, who also could not be reached for additional comment Wednesday evening, posted a message for people working in restaurants and bars.

“For others working in the service industry, dealing with the COVID-19 mask enforcement and emboldened racists, don’t be afraid to stand up to these people,” Hernandez wrote. “You are human first and foremost, and no one deserves to be treated this way.”

This story was originally published July 8, 2020 at 10:04 PM with the headline "Florida marketing CEO resigns from firm after video of racial verbal assault at Fresno bar."