A man faced backlash online after a video surfaced of him berating a woman in her car. However, his boss stepped in to defend him, highlighting his positive character and contributions to the company. The boss's defence video went viral, accumulating over 3 million views.
The internet has exposed many people to the harsh consequences of their worst moments going viral. Some have even lost their jobs as a result. Nigel Ford, who became known for a public altercation over a parking space, narrowly avoided this fate.
Over a million people viewed the video filmed in Newport Beach, California, last month. Many demanded that Ford's boss take disciplinary action. However, Deena Saunders-Green defended her employee instead.
Saunders-Green, the employer at Green Pines Media, a company that helps disadvantaged artists, could have legally fired Ford under California's at-will employment laws. However, despite his viral controversy, she kept him on the team.
In an interview with Business Insider, Saunders-Green explained that she didn't want to condemn her employee based on an online clip. Instead, she relied on her knowledge of his character to decide.
"We're just trying to do business in a drastically different way, in a way that I wish our society and our culture and other employers would behave," Saunders-Green told BI. "We're all humans."
A Boss' Defense Against Online Outrage
Saunders-Green said her husband informed her about the video, which had been shared by a creator named Danesh (@thatdaneshguy). Danesh, known for publicly shaming people who exhibit rude or entitled behaviour in public, has amassed a following of 1.9 million.
The original video, posted by a woman named Manuela on TikTok, showed Ford banging his body against the car. Two women in the car can be heard calling him "crazy." One of the women in the car sarcastically remarked to Ford, "Your employer is really going to appreciate this," suggesting that he faced potential consequences.
Danesh shared the video on his popular Instagram account, tagging Ford's Instagram handle and revealing some of his personal and professional information. Saunders-Green, who described Ford as generally "mild-mannered" and "the nicest guy," contacted him to find out what had happened.
Ford apologised to Saunders-Green when she contacted him, expressing embarrassment over losing his temper. "He told me that he was waiting for a parking spot, and someone swooped in and got it," Saunders-Green said of Ford. "He had got out of the car essentially to confront them."
Saunders-Green said she and Ford discussed his actions and how to handle similar situations in the future. She stated that they addressed the issue internally and resolved it satisfactorily. She also emphasised her company's commitment to prioritising people over profits.
The Dark Side Of Viral Videos
Ford expressed relief to Saunders-Green and revealed that he had been subjected to online harassment, including insults and death threats. In a video posted on his Instagram account, Ford shared his side of the story, and noting "thatdaneshguy is dangerous."
He accused Danesh of wrongly claiming that there was a kid in the car and claiming that Ford was from Newport Beach or OC. "Creating and spreading misinformation and twisting a story just to go viral is scary and sad. Beyond what he (Danesh) did, the hypocrisy demonstrated by thousands of people who slid in my DMs is worrisome," Ford wrote.
Saunders-Green also said she was receiving emails demanding that she fire Ford, with some individuals threatening to harm her business if she refused. "It pissed me off because, number one, I'm 50 years old and menopausal, and I'm a Black woman," Saunders-Green said. "How dare you reach out to me and try to bully me?"
On August 19, Saunders-Green decided to create her own video. She shared some of the hateful messages Ford had received and declared her support for him. Her video quickly went viral, accumulating over 3 million views, surpassing the view count of any individual clip from the original incident.
The public reaction to the incident was divided. Some criticised Ford for his aggressive behaviour toward the woman filming him, while others defended his right to be upset if she had stolen his parking spot. Saunders-Green's video received significant support, with many people applauding her response.
"This is the most realistic, humanistic and genuine response I have watched in this app," one comment reads. Another said: "So rare these days to see someone giving someone else grace for having a bad day/moment. "
Saunders-Green argued that Ford had become a "scapegoat" and that people were simply looking for someone to blame. She criticised the assumption that a "super-white guy" would use his privilege to bully a woman.
While acknowledging her own advocacy for women, Saunders-Green emphasised the importance of not exaggerating the situation. Saunders-Green's support for her employee stands in stark contrast to the behaviour of some bosses.
For instance, one company faced criticism for denying sick leave to an employee who had lost their home in a fire. Moreover, an employee resigned after their boss threatened termination for not working on a previously approved PTO day.
