Tech CEO resigns after paranoid email rant about Jews euthanizing Americans

David Bateman, the founder and chairman of Entrata, a Utah tech firm, sent an email from his entrata.com account early Monday in which he claimed the COVID-19 vaccine is part of a plot by "the Jews" to exterminate Americans.

In addition, Bateman cited an unhinged conspiracy theory that says the vaccines are an effort, pushed by global “elites” including Bill Gates and George Soros, to depopulate the planet.

The email, which Bateman sent to some of the most consequential figures in the state’s public and private sectors, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah Jazz owner and Qualtrics CEO Ryan Smith, along with a group of other local executives in a part of the country known as the “Silicon Slope”, begins with the subject line "Genocide.” It continues,

"I write this email knowing that many of you will think I'm crazy after reading it. I believe there is a sadistic effort underway to euthanize the American people. It's obvious now. It's undeniable, yet no one is doing anything. Everyone is discounting their own judgment, and dismissing their intuition.”

Bateman goes on to attack the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and urged people not to get it. He also claims that criticism of the vaccine is being censored and international charges were going to be filed against Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Then he gets to the heart of his warning and identifies the perpetrators of this upcoming massacre of the American people,

"I believe the Jews are behind this [the COVID vaccine]. For 300 years the Jews have been trying to infiltrate the Catholic Church and place a Jew covertly at the top. It happened in 2013 with Pope Francis. I believe the pandemic and systematic extermination of billions of people will lead to an effort to consolidate all the countries in the world under a single flag with totalitarian rule. I know, it sounds bonkers. No one is reporting on it, but the Hasidic Jews in the US instituted a law for their people that they are not to be vaccinated for any reason.”

Bateman continues with more conspiracy theory, junk science,

“The spike protein in both the vaccine and the illness are [sic] attacking the reproductive systems of women, and will eventually erode the number of T cells in our bodies that can ward off infections. Don’t get the illness and don’t get vaccinated.”

There is no proof to back up any of Bateman’s claims. This conspiracy theory has been floating around in several iterations since September 2020.

Bateman attributes the “former chief scientist at Pfizer” as someone who believes “genocide of our peoploe [sic] is underway.”

Bateman refers to Dr. Michael Yeadon, a retired British doctor who has opposed COVID-19 restrictions and believes vaccines are unnecessary to end the pandemic. Yeadon was a chief scientist of Pfizer’s allergy research unit. He has been spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation for more than a year.

Batman then brings his crazy train into the station,

"I pray that I'm wrong on this. Utah has got to stop the vaccination drive. Warn your employees. Warn your friends. Prepare. Stay safe."

Batman was right when he wrote, “many of you will think I’m crazy” and  “I know it sounds bonkers.” And Utah’s Governor agreed. On Wednesday, Spencer posted a tweet on his personal account condemning Bateman’s email, writing: “These irresponsible comments are hurtfully anti-Semitic, blatantly false, and we completely reject them.” Adding that Batesman’s remarks were “batshit-crazy”.

He was not the only recipient who was appalled. The remarks triggered condemnation throughout Utah's tech community and led to David Bateman's resignation from the company's board of directors after local TV station, FOX 13, first reported on the email.

In closing, allow me to talk about the Hasidic Jews Bateman refers to. It is true that initially this insular community was vaccine-resistant and some Rabbis promoted an anti-vaccine message. But Hasidic activists have largely convinced the Hasidim that vaccines are a net positive and many of the community are now vaccinated. Also, the Hassidim are no more representative of the Jews in general than Mormons are of Christians in general. Vaccination rates for conservative and reform Jews are as high as any other demographic group. Maybe higher, as the Torah mandates that Jews must take measures to protect, themselves, their families, and their communities from disease. 

And let’s note the Torah — or Pentateuch — is also the beginning of the Christian Bible.