Local car dealership responds to former employee’s racist video

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A well-known local car dealership is responding to criticism after a Facebook video surfaced of a former employee using derogatory, insulting, and racist language directed towards African-Americans.

The video, which has been viewed nearly 25,000 times as of Monday afternoon, has left many people in this community hurt and confused by the man’s actions.

In the video, the unnamed former employee says, “Hi, this is [Beas?] the credit doctor, and I is here to help you get some credits that you deserve. That’s right, you a deadbeat? You got bad credit? They [repossessed] your car? You don’t have a job? It’s okay! Come here, we’ll help you lie about your work, we’ll make ya a pay stub, we’ll make you a bank statement, and we’ll get ya in a $7oo-a-month payment that you ain’t gonna pay anyway, (racial slur). So what do ya care? Get down here now!”

The man in the video is the former general manager at Martin Dodge Jeep Chrsyler Ram dealership in Bowling Green. The Martin Automotive Group, which is known as one of the most successful African-American owned businesses in Bowling Green, said in a statement that the individual was immediately fired as soon as they were made aware of the video three weeks ago.

On Monday morning, the Martin family released the following statement on the company’s Facebook page:

“This is an upsetting event to all of us here at Martin Dodge Jeep Chrysler Ram. The comments made by the former employee in the video does not reflect the values or standards that our organization holds. When management was made award of this video three weeks ago, the employee was immediately terminated.

For the past 30 years we have worked to create an organization full of diversity in race, religion, and gender. Our philanthropic work also reflects our continued commitment to diversity. WE fully condemn the abhorrent racist and bigoted comments. There is simply no space for these views or comments.”

Several of the comments in response to the Facebook video shared feelings of hurt and disgust, something also felt by members of the Bowling Green NAACP.

President of the Bowling Green chapter, Ryan Dearbone, said he did not hold this against the car dealership and understood that this was a rogue employee acting on his own ill-will. Despite that, Dearbone said it shows that these types of issues are still very prevalent in our society today.

“It’s disgusting and it’s something that you never wanna hear and you never would hope that somebody is using that in a joking manner on video or anywhere else,” he added. “When you see it on video, it really just kind of eats away at you and says there’s still problems. This is proof positive that there’s problems out there that people still think this is okay.”

At this time, the identity of the man in the video is unclear, and it is also uncertain as to whether the individual who recorded the video worked for, or is still employed by the Martin Automotive Group.