Beyond Meat exec accused of biting man's nose to leave company
Doug Ramsey was suspended in September after being arrested following a fight at a college football game
Some 200 employees for the meat-alternative company Beyond Meat were let go this week according to a Friday regulatory filing that also showed Chief Operating Officer Doug Ramsey has left the company.
Ramsey was suspended from the job on Sept. 20 after he was arrested for reportedly biting a man’s nose during an altercation following an Arkansas Razorbacks and Missouri State Bears football game.
FOX Business could not immediately reach Beyond Meat for comment surrounding the circumstances of Ramsey’s departure, but the Friday announcement comes on the cusp of an alleged nose-biting incident.
Beyond Meat has suspended Chief Operating Officer Doug Ramsey following his arrest for allegedly biting a man's nose during an altercation. (Washington County, Arkansas Sheriff's Office)
BEYOND MEAT COO SUSPENDED AFTER ALTERCATION
The executive, who joined the company in December 2021, faces charges of third-degree battery and terroristic threatening after he was angered when another driver inched in front of him in a traffic lane and made contact with the front passenger wheel of his Ford Bronco SUV.
Ramsey apparently got out of his vehicle and punched in the back window of the driver’s car.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYND | BEYOND MEAT INC. | 4.89 | -0.12 | -2.40% |
The driver told police that he then got out of his car before Ramsey pulled him close and began punching him. The driver was then allegedly bitten on the tip of his nose by Ramsey.
Beyond Meat's senior vice president of operations, Jonathan Nelson, who was appointed to lead operations following Ramsey’s immediate suspension, will now fulfill the duties "on a permanent basis," the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
Nelson’s annual base salary increased to $355,000 on Thursday.
But as Nelson secures a hefty salary base, the company also slashed jobs.
Engineered plant-based burger patties from food company Beyond Meat are visible on shelves among other meat alternatives at a grocery store in San Ramon, California, Aug. 28, 2019. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Two hundred employees, or approximately 19% of Beyond Meat's total global workforce, were let go Tuesday.
"This decision was based on cost-reduction initiatives intended to reduce operating expenses," the filings said.
The layoffs come amid reports that plant-based meat sales are declining.
FOX Business' Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.