A CEO’s assertion that a dress-wearing male teen looked like an “idiot” prior to prom has caused his ouster from his Tennessee job.
Sam Dalton is now the former head of telemedicine company VisuWell, thanks to a viral video of his interactions with Franklin High School senior Dalton Stevens.
“We share the concerns that so many have expressed on this matter and look forward to announcing concrete steps we are taking in support of the LGBTQ community in particular over the coming weeks,” VisuWell said in a statement after Mr. Dalton’s termination.
The incident at the Harpeth Hotel in Franklin left the teen livid.
“I don’t take crap from anybody or any person,” the teen told a local ABC affiliate on Tuesday.
The viral TikTok video of the interaction included the student telling Mr. Dalton to “f— off!” in response to his commentary.
The businessman countered by saying the video doesn’t capture the impetus for his approaching the teens.
“[This was] about obnoxious, loud behavior by this group of teens,” he told Newsweek Tuesday. “[My party] 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. Making it about the dress was their idea and they edited out most of the exchange.”
Mr. Dalton added that he harbors “no ill will towards anyone or their personal choices, so long as it does not harm me or my family.”
*story by The Washington Times