InfoWars host Alex Jones has been accused of subjecting his staff to a barrage of homophobic, racist, antisemitic and sexual abuse.
A lawsuit filed by former employee Rob Jacobson says that Jones called him “Beefcake” for four years, “referring to male porn stars.”
The video editor, who worked at InfoWars for 13 years, said that the host’s behaviour was “intimidating and harassing”.
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Channel-3-768x393.jpg 768w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Ch... 1200w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Ch... 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" width="650" height="332" />(YouTube/The Alex Jones Channel)
He added that it was “a form of sexual harassment in that he was grooming me for homosexual sex.”
Jones has been left scrambling to keep InfoWars’ YouTube channel online after being han... for repeatedly promoting conspiracy theories about the Parkland school shooting in Florida.
Speaking to the Mail Online, Jacobson explained the moment Jones allegedly started calling him “Beefcake”.
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/11/alex-jones-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/11/alex-jones-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/11/alex-jones-300x170.jpg 300w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/11/alex-jones-1116x628.jpg 1116w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/11/alex-jones.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" width="650" height="366" />(YouTube/InfoWars)
He said: “Work on Alex’s films included finding embarrassing pictures of politicians on the internet and I was searching through pictures of the Clintons caught making funny or embarrassing faces on camera and I noticed a unique one of Hillary Clinton that I’ve never seen before.
“Alex was walking by and it was a ‘look what I’ve found’ moment, I invited him to check it out.
“But when I clicked on this picture to see the full resolution image, a gay porn website popped up; it was a clickbait picture,” he added.
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Channel-2-768x395.jpg 768w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Ch... 1200w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Ch... 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" width="650" height="334" />(YouTube/The Alex Jones Channel)
“I was shocked and embarrassed but Alex knew what had happened so I quickly clicked off, but he instantly jumped on it and called me ‘Beefcake.’
“That afternoon he continued calling me Beefcake, the next day it was Beefcake, I thought it would maybe go away, like sort of childish behaviour, office banter, but it didn’t.”
In the complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Jacobson also alleged that Jones allowed or even enabled others to homophobically discriminate against him.
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https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/12/Alex-Jones3-768x388.jpg 768w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/12/Alex-Jones3-1200x606.jpg 1200w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2017/12/Alex-Jones3.jpg 1458w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" width="650" height="328" />(YouTube/infowars)
The conspiracy theorist “allowed his friend Shane Steiner into my office to display on my computer with images of gay pornography,” Jacobson wrote.
“I believe this action was a continuation of the intimidation and sexual harassment in that he was grooming me for homosexual sex.”
Jacobson also accused Jones of antisemitic abuse, writing that he “used racial slurs against me, calling me ‘The Resident Jew,’ ‘The Jewish Individual,’ and ‘Yacobson.’
Former production assistant Ashley Beckford has also submitted a complaint, alleging that Jones groped her behind and asked “who wouldn’t want to have a black wife?” in her presence.
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Channel-768x400.jpg 768w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Ch... 1200w, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/03/youtube-The-Alex-Jones-Ch... 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" width="650" height="339" />(YouTube/The Alex Jones Channel)
Jones denied the allegations, saying that they were “completely, totally false” and had “no reflection of reality”.
He added: “I’m not going to talk about former employees, I mean nobody accuses me of stuff like that. No, no and in fact I’m not the type of person to say those kinds of things.
“So that’s why my feelings are hurt. Wow. That’s all I can say. That’s total bulls***.”
Jones’ dad, David Jones, is the company’s head of human resources. He played down the “Beefcake” complaint.
“That might have been a case of 30 seconds of somebody giving him some crap, I can see that, it’s like a damn locker room,” he said.
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EXCLUSIVE: Fired Infowars staffers at war with Alex Jones - one claiming he was teased as the site's 'resident Jew' while African American worker says she was 'mocked' for her skin tone and Jones 'grabbed her behind'
- Two former Infowars staffers have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the site's founder Alex Jones
- Rob Jacobson, who is Jewish, alleges Jones bullied, ridiculed and humiliated him
- Jones joked with staff who called Jacobson 'The Jewish Individual', 'The Resident Jew' and shouted 'Yacobson' across the office, Jacobson claims in his complaint
- Jacobson also claimed that Jones called him 'Beefcake' - a homophobic slur
- A second ex employee claims she suffered 'harassment and discrimination' at the hands of Jones and other senior managers at Infowars based on her race
- Former production assistant Ashley Beckford said she was subjected to sexual harassment and racial slurs by her colleagues and upper management
- She claims Jones groped her 'butt' during a 'side-hug' while 'pretending to feel sympathy' over an incident and asked 'Who wouldn't want to have a black wife?'
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has discriminated against his staff, laughed along with racist and anti-Semitic slurs against former employees and even groped one female worker, bombshell documents allege.
The controversial Infowars owner joked with staff who called Rob Jacobson 'The Jewish Individual', 'The Resident Jew' and shouted 'Yacobson' across the office, it's claimed.
Jones allegedly continually bullied, ridiculed and humiliated Jacobson - who worked for Jones' company Infowars for 13 years - before firing him last May.
Jacobson is in the process of suing Jones for discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal and his lawyers have submitted a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
A second former employee has claimed she suffered 'harassment and discrimination' at the hands of Jones and other senior managers at Infowars based on her race.
A former employee of Alex Jones claims the Infowars owner bullied, ridiculed and humiliated him for months and discriminated against him because he was Jewish. A second employee has 'harassment and discrimination' at the hands of Jones and other Infowars employees
Former Infowars video editor Rob Jacobson is in the process of suing Jones for discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal and his lawyers have submitted a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Former production assistant Ashley Beckford said she was 'mocked' for her skin tone, called a 'coon' by a senior manager, and denied promotions to match the salary of other coworkers, according to the complaint documents seen by DailyMail.com
Former production assistant Ashley Beckford said she joined Free Speech Systems, Infowars' parent company, in June 2016 and the discrimination began almost immediately.
According to an EEOC complaint she too has filed: 'I was subjected to different terms and conditions of employment, in comparison to my non-Black African-American peers, when it came to my salary/wages and benefits (travel), and in regards to my dress, including my hair style.
'I also was subjected to harassment and racial slurs by Respondent's management and some peer colleagues, as well as subjected to sexual harassment and a hostile, sexually offensive work environment.'
In a series of allegations, Beckford, who is African American, says she was 'mocked' for her skin tone, called a 'coon' by a senior manager, and denied promotions to match the salary of other coworkers, according to the complaint documents.
She also accuses Jones and several other supervisors and colleagues of 'commonly leering at women in the office', and making 'sexual gestures and advances'.
According to the filing, she claims Jones groped her 'butt' after initiating a 'side-hug' while 'pretending to feel sympathy' over an incident Beckford was involved in.
The complaint states: 'Simultaneously, he was commenting to those in the room, "Who wouldn't want to have a black wife?".'
She added: 'I felt embarrassed and nervous, but I knew that he had specifically touched my behind at that moment as a sly come-on that other people may not notice.'
Beckford filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on February 7
Beckford claimed what she was underpaid compared to her 'white co-workers' and that Infowars producer Rob Dew called her a 'coon', which is a racial slur against African Americans
Beckford claimed that she was referred to as 'colored' and that another staffer wore sneakers decorated in swastikas
Beckford claimed that Jones groped her behind with his hand and commented to others, 'Who wouldn't want to have a black wife?'
According to the EEOC complaint Beckford also alleges Jones tried to 'groom' her for 'sexual exploitation'. She claims he made 'sexual advances' towards her and made comments about her having a 'good body that looked like I worked out a lot'
Beckford also makes note of the treatment toward Jacobson, who she says was 'ridiculed and mocked' because he was Jewish
Beckford also claims she was intimidated by the constant display of guns in the infowars' office in Austin, Texas, which created an 'extremely hostile work environment'
According to the EEOC complaint Beckford also alleges Jones tried to 'groom' her for 'sexual exploitation'.
She claims he made 'sexual advances' towards her and made comments about her having a 'good body that looked like I worked out a lot'.
'It's my opinion that it was his intention to see if he could groom me for sexual exploitation,' Beckford wrote in the complaint.
She added: 'Alex often spent his time shirtless, and endlessly leering, with or without a shirt, at female guests and employees while creating a disgusting, hostile environment.'
Beckford also claims she was intimidated by the constant display of guns in the infowars' office in Austin, Texas, which created an 'extremely hostile work environment' and alleges she was reprimanded if she ever questioned the actions of President Donald Trump.
Beckford was fired in April 2017 due to excessive 'write-ups', she claims.
Both Beckford and Jacobson are now being represented by lawyer Ben Meiselas, a civil rights leader at law firm Geragos & Geragos.
In Jacobson's EEOC complaint, he states: 'I am Jewish, and my employer used racial slurs against me, calling me "The Resident Jew," "The Jewish Individual," and "Yacobson." My workplace was a syndicated radio show, so these slurs were mad publicly, on air.
'My employer also inserted my face onto the photo of a Hasidic Jewish man and circulated that picture around the office.'
Jacobson, who started working for Jones in May 2004 as a video editor, filed his complaint on citing discrimination based on race, sex, religion and 'retaliation'
In the complaint, Jacobson accused his employer of calling him 'The Resident Jew', 'The Jewish Individual' and 'Yacobson'
Jacobson claims he was consistently emboldened my colleagues to practice racism & white supremacy' due to his Jewish background
Jacobson says Jones gave David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a three-hour interview, during which Duke called him 'The Jewish Individual'
InfoWars/Free Speech Systems Response to allegations against founder Alex Jones and staff
Alex Jones described the allegations as having, 'no reflection of reality' and 'completely, totally false'.
He told DailyMail.com: 'I'm not going to talk about former employees, I mean nobody accuses me of stuff like that. No, no and in fact I'm not the type of person to say those kinds of things. So that's why my feelings are hurt. Wow. That's all I can say. That's total bulls**t.'
Jones denied being racist and anti-semitic saying his ex-wife Kelly Nichols was half-Jewish.
He said: 'It's absolutely ridiculous. A classic. I'm going to continue to take the high road. I'm shocked that Rob would do something like this. Must be in a bad way out there. So sorry for him.'
Jones did concede that there was an incident involving the interview with David Duke during which Duke called Jacobson a 'Jewish individual', but said he's 'never' heard stuff like that being repeated around the office.
Jones said it was sad that people were trying to 'score points' or somehow become 'relevant' by making 'outrageous' allegations.
'And it's a sad thing. I mean I have zero concern about it except for Rob because it's, it's so outrageous.' Jones says he was nothing but nice to Jacobson, adding that he wishes him well in his new career as a 'fiction writer' in Hollywood.
He said: 'I just wish Rob well and I hope that he has a great life and I just hope that he is successful in everything he does. I wish him well with his fiction career... I'm going to take the high road. 'I'm not giving up on Rob and I'm not giving up on humanity.'
In relation to Beckford's allegations he said: 'There was never any complaints filed or anything done to HR or said here. Come on man, it's total fiction.'
He added: 'It's 100% false, not true,' before threatening legal action.
Jacobson (pictured with Jones) claims his former boss runs an office culture that is 'racially and sexually discriminatory'
Jones' father Dr David Jones, who is the company's Head of Human Resources, also weighed in. He admitted to DailyMail.com that the Infowars office environment can often be like a 'locker room'.
He also confirmed that Jacobson had made complaints to HR about certain issues, but insists none of those complaints were serious or about anti-semitism or racism.
'His complaints were generally way after anything presumably occurred,' he said.
One incident, he recalls, was concerning a video that Jacobson had said had been put on his screen by a fellow worker.
'We researched it and found it was something accidental and incidental,' he said. 'Somebody had teased him about something on his desktop.'
When asked about the 'Beefcake' incident, Jones Snr believed that had something to do with the video incident. 'That might have been a case of 30 seconds of somebody giving him some crap, I can see that, it's like a damn locker room,' he confessed.
'When you're dealing with creative people sometimes there's a little bit of by-play and I would say Rob dished out way more than he received. 'Anytime somebody would make a complaint we would take it with all seriousness.
'There was nothing that stood out (with Rob) and we have zero tolerance on ethnic discrimination, gender discrimination and discrimination on the basis of people's preferences. We're libertarian, we believe in people being what they are and what they want to be.'
Jones Snr says the company is made up of 'equal opportunity offenders', adding, 'We're a very yeasty environment and we give everybody crap, I'm just being brutally honest here'.
He added that the company had hired consultants to help improve sensitivity training and other issues prior to Jacobson's departure in 2017.
Eric Taube, lawyer for Free Speech Systems, said the allegations from
Jacobson and Beckford will be 'investigated'.
He said the 'time frame' of the allegations, given they happened a long time ago is 'mysterious'.
'I don't know what it is that they are hoping to accomplish,' he said.
Taube described the claims as 'unfounded' based on what he knows.
He added: 'Obviously Free Speech Systems and Infowars takes these things very seriously and will fully investigate all of those allegations, but they don't make sense to me for a lot of different reasons.'
Jacobson said in the complaint that he was 'passed over' for promotions and raises, which instead went to 'far less experienced employees', adding that his firing was both 'discriminator and in retaliation for my complaint to HR.'
Jacobson also claimed in his EEOC report that Jones called him 'Beefcake' - a homophobic slur - and brought other people into the joke.
Jacobson told DailyMail.com In an exclusive interview the slur occurred after he called Jones into his office to show him something he found on his computer.
'Work on Alex’s films included finding embarrassing pictures of politicians on the internet and I was searching through pictures of the Clintons caught making funny or embarrassing faces on camera and I noticed a unique one of Hillary Clinton that I’ve never seen before.
'Alex was walking by and it was a "look what I've found" moment, I invited him to check it out.
'But when I clicked on this picture to see the full resolution image, a gay porn website popped up, it was a click bait picture.
'I was shocked and embarrassed but Alex knew what had happened so I quickly clicked off, but he instantly jumped on it and called me "Beefcake".
'That afternoon he continued calling me Beefcake, the next day it was Beefcake, I thought it would maybe go away, like sort of childish behavior, office banter, but it didn't.'
In the EEOC report, Jacobson writes of the incident: 'From 2008-2012, Alex Jones called me Beefcake, referring to male porn stars,' Jacobson said. 'I felt like this was intimidating and harassing and a form of sexual harassment in that he was grooming me for homosexual sex.'
On one occasion, Jones allowed a friend to display gay porn on Jacobson’s computer, according to the EEOC report.
'In 2014, The CEO of the company, Alex Jones, allowed his friend Shane Steiner into my office to display on my computer with images of gay pornography,' Jacobson said, adding that he made a formal complaint to the human resources department.
He continued: 'I believe this action was a continuation of the intimidation and sexual harassment in that he was grooming me for homosexual sex.'
Jacobson started working for Jones in May 2004 as a video editor. 'I started editing his film Marshall Law, then I did Terror Storm, End Game, Obama Deception so on and so forth.
'At first we worked in a small office and everything was okay, I considered him a friend.'
But things changed.
Jacobson said his employer photoshopped his face on to a photo of a Hasidic Jewish man and circulated that picture around the office
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Jacobson, who started working for Jones in May 2004 as a video editor, said he once considered Jones his friend but before long Jones' behavior became more and more 'bizarre'
Jacobson points to an incident early in 2017 during which Jones allegedly humiliated him in front of his co-workers.
'There was an editor's contest with a $5,000 reward and Alex gave the reward to someone else which I thought was very unfair,' he said.
'I called him and challenged him based on my video's YouTube numbers and the quality of the content, the fact I worked as a sole editor while everybody else had help.
'I could have used that money like everyone else, but I questioned his judgment, I felt he overlooked me because of our history.'
To Jacobson's horror he later learned Jones had played the entire private conversation on speaker phone in front of other members of staff.
He said: 'He thought it was a good idea to take this confidential phone call and share it with other staff members.
'But the people listening were shocked by Alex's behavior, his unprofessionalism and told me what happened.
'I was humiliated,' Jacobson says.
Jacobson says Jones gave Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a 'carte blanche' platform for Jones' entire audience to see and hear.
'On a daily basis I was called names based on my ethnicity, I was called "Yacobson", they'd laugh at the term "Resident Jew".
'And I think Alex was the ring-leader, the secret joker when I wasn't around and he fueled the abuse among the staff, gave them license to do and say what they wanted.'
Jacobson says Jones gave David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a 'carte blanche' platform for Jones' entire audience to see and hear.
'Alex who is normally pretty sharp and happy to cut people off, let him slide on most of these insane points Duke was making. He let him rant undisturbed for ten to 15 minutes a time. '
Jacobson was listening to the Duke interview on the side lines when Jones asked his staff if anyone had a question for the former KKK leader.
Jacobson says during his last couple of years with Inforwars he and Jones avoided each other when possible
Jacobson did and Jones, while giving him a glowing review as a 'great' video editor, introduced him on air as a 'Jewish Staff Member'.
During the conversation Duke referred to Jacobson as the 'Jewish Individual' - a term which would haunt him.
'Staff members took that as sort of a cue, they referred to me repeatedly in the office as "The Jewish Individual", it was hilarious to them, I had to suffer through, it was an every day occurrence,' says Jacobson.
The abuse got so bad that one member of staff photo shopped Jacobson's face on to the image of an Orthodox Jew under the words 'THE JEWISH INDIVIDUAL DEMANDS YOUR HOT TOPICS' and printed it out for all to see.
Hot Topics was a segment of Jones' show produced by Jacobson.
Jacobson concedes Jones himself never called him that directly but he claims the staff and upper management did and he believes Jones laughed along with them behind the scenes.
In another incident Jacobson says one of Infowars' TV personalities introduced him on air as our 'resident Jew' - yet another example of the racist treatment he received at work.
'I was answering a politically based question with a politically based answer, it had nothing to do with me religion or ethnicity,' he says. 'But that was typical of the treatment I was subject to by Alex Jones and his staff.'
Jacobson says during the last couple of years he and Jones avoided each other when possible.
'I remember I put a commercial at the end of a YouTube video which he didn't like, he was screaming, pointing at me, "You're not gonna ruin me Jacobson, you're not gonna ruin me". It made it unpleasant just to be around him.'
Jacobson says he was eventually fired due to a 'misunderstanding' over someone else taking over a project he'd been working on.
'I wasn't happy about someone taking on my project so I complained and Alex put his hand on my shoulder and said I was dangling from a loose thread. He raised his voice at me and said, 'Jacobson, get out of here you're fired.'
'Then he said he was going to sue me, for what, for firing me? He was enraged. He said 'Good luck finding another job Jacobson.'
'Why would he say that, I was fired for no reason, he was rubbing it in, he even said he was about to give me another raise too, give me a break.
'I worked hard for him for years, I almost had a perfect attendance record, yes I made the occasional mistake but who doesn't and I'm talking two or three mistakes in 13 years.'
Attorney Ben Meiselas, of law firm Geragos & Geragos, told DailyMail.com: 'As alleged in the charges filed, Infowars not only waged a war on the public, spewing disinformation and abhorrent conspiracy theories, but also waged war on the integrity and dignity of its employees.'
Infowars has been credited with galvanizing a large amount of support for Donald Trump during last year's election. Trump appeared on the controversial show in December 2015, just months after he announced his candidacy (pictured)
Jones has always been a divisive and controversial figure on his show. In 2014 he sparked outrage when he controversially claimed the Sandy Hook shooting of 20 young children was a 'false flag' attack perpetrated by the US government claiming no one died and the victims were 'child actors'
Jones has always been a divisive and controversial figure on his show.
In 2014 he sparked outrage when he controversially claimed the Sandy Hook shooting of 20 young children was a 'false flag' attack perpetrated by the US government claiming no one died and the victims were 'child actors'.
In the past he has also claimed the 9/11 terror attacks and the Oklahoma bombing were government conspiracies, said the Boston bombings were a hoax and insisted Hillary Clinton should be jailed and that Barack Obama founded ISIS.
One of his more outlandish claims was that the government puts chemicals into the water supply to turn people gay so they are unable to have children.
But despite his far fetched views Jones attracts millions of listeners and has amassed 1.2billion views on one of his 18 YouTube channels.
One of his fans is believed to be President Donald Trump, who appeared on his show in December 2015, several months after he announced his candidacy.
Infowars has been credited with galvanizing a large amount of support for Trump during last year's election.
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