Arizona CEO calls Uber driver a racial slur in video. Now he’s the ex-CEO, reports say

The CEO of an Arizona-based organic fertilizer company was replaced after he was seen on video calling a black Uber driver the n-word, media outlets reported.

Hans Berglund, 71, was removed from his position at Agroplasma, the company he founded, and “replaced with an interim chief executive,” according to The Washington Post. He called Randy Clarke, a 25-year-old Uber driver, the n-word Friday after Clarke asked Berglund to sit in the back seat, ABC15 reported.

Clarke told The Washington Post that he was sexually assaulted during a ride in 2018, and he has since asked passengers to use the back seat. His driver profile on Uber also says, “front seat use is reserved for parties of 3 of more,” the Post said.

There are also multiple signs on Clarke’s vehicle that say the front seat is reserved for parties of three or more, the Phoenix New Times reported.

“Are you f***ing serious with me?” ABC15 said Berglund can be heard saying in the video. “Is it because I’m white? And you’re a f****ing N******? You are a f***ing idiot.”

Berglund was “relieved of his duties while the company performs a full internal investigation,” The Arizona Republic reported the company said in a Wednesday statement.

“The incident is not at all reflective of Agroplasma’s values and ethics,” the statement said, according to the Arizona Republic. “Our relationships with our employees, customers and the community are the cornerstones of our success, and we are doing everything in our power to rebuild their trust and repair the harm that has resulted from this incident.”

Uber told The Arizona Republic that Berglund is banned from all services and that “discrimination has no place on the Uber app or anywhere.”

“I hate what happened. I hate what I said. I’m not a racist at all, whatsoever,” Berglund told the New Times. “I created a huge huge problem for me, my family, and my company, and it’s absolutely awful how it’s been blown up.”

Berglund could also face legal action, the Phoenix New Times reported.

“I don’t want a lawyer apology,” Clarke told The Washington Post. “I want a genuine, heartfelt apology so I can actually forgive him and give him a big hug.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 8:18 PM with the headline "Arizona CEO calls Uber driver a racial slur in video. Now he’s the ex-CEO, reports say."