Masks are of the utmost importance as the world comes together to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but unfortunately, some people are still refusing to wear them.
This was something this waitress experienced first-hand when a white CEO went into a racist rant after he was repeatedly refused service for failing to wear a mask.
Rebecca Hernandez knew something bad was about to happen, and because she feared for her safety, she filmed the racist outburst of a man who identified himself in the video as Jason Wood.
Watch the footage of the disturbing incident below (Warning - this video contains upsetting language):Hernandez subsequently uploaded the video to Instagram with the following caption: "I knew that after the 5th time of trying to enforce a mask policy, which he never wore, this person was going to be an issue. After using the bathroom I walked in on my coworker attempting to cut him off. Jason, was very persistent which is something we see a lot.
"My coworker did everything right but after hearing no several times Jason starts to get aggressive. He starts trying to bribe us, saying that he will give us $100 dollars if we just poured him a beer. We politely decline his money and stand our ground. He of course did not like this.
"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."
Hernandez explained that she was the most experienced member of staff present so she decided to personally deal with the situation.
"This is where things take a turn and being a person of color comes into the conversation," she wrote. "I closeout [Jason's] tab and tell him to please leave the bar and that we could care less about the tip he promised us."
She explained that she felt extremely uncomfortable and unsafe so she began to record what was happening.
"He threatened to ruin my life and take down my place of work," she wrote. "In the video, you can hear him call me a 'dark-haired sand ni**er' and claims that I'm 'stupid like Saudi Arabians'.
"This man claims to 'run the internet' and as the CEO and President of Actionable Insights, there probably won't be any consequences for his racist actions."
Hernandez then shared an important message for others working in the service industry right now:
"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.
"And 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."
Wood later responded to the incident in an interview with WKBN and said: "My words were unacceptable. They were a result of being physically impaired. They are not representative of my personal beliefs or those of my company."
But per Indy100, Wood's company, Actionable Insights, has announced his resignation and it is "effective immediately". The company said in a statement:
"Due to recent events, Actionable Insights is announcing the resignation of Mr. Jason Wood as our Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. This is a direct result of his recent unacceptable actions which are not representative of our core values.
"During this time of progressive social change, we are committed to ensure our company embodies a spirit of equality and respect for all people. On behalf of Mr. Wood and Actionable Insights, we extend our deepest apologies. It is our hope that we can move forward, and our reputation for integrity and excellence will navigate us through this difficult time."
