FERGUSON, Mo. — The CEO of a St. Louis area company is facing backlash after his viral comments about women in law enforcement.
The comments 1st Phorm CEO Andy Frisella made on a podcast have people fired up in police departments across the region.
Ferguson Police are now joining St. Louis City and County in pushing back against those comments, which Chief Troy Doyle says degrade the bravery and sacrifice of officers.
At the Ferguson Police Department, roughly one in four officers are female.
“It’s very clear that throughout the Ferguson Police Department the input of women and their impact is phenomenal,” the department's spokesoperson Patricia Washington said.
For nearly 20 years, Washington has witnessed firsthand the way her female colleagues make a difference in their community.
“Just having that perspective and having that ability to be able to relate to a situation with not only your police training and background, but a different perspective from a female perspective,” Washington said.
Washington admits she was caught off guard by recent comments by 1st Phorm founder and CEO Andy Frisella about women in law enforcement.
Frisella has since deleted the episode of the ‘Real AF’ podcast and tried to walk back his comments.
“I said some things on the show on Thursday that after thinking about it, and after having it pointed out to me, that I feel very regretful for saying embarrassed that I said it doesn't reflect who I am,” 1st Phorm CEO Andy Frisella said on the ‘Real AF’ podcast.
However, Washington isn’t buying it.
“When you have that kind of hate speech, because that’s really what it is, there are people who will be impacted by that,” Washington said.
Safe Connection CEO Cynthia Danley provided 5 On Your Side with this statement on Frisella’s comments:
“When society normalizes derogatory language, it reinforces a culture of misogyny, making it easier to justify discrimination, harassment, and even violence. For survivors of domestic violence, these negative messages can be especially destructive, as they erode self-esteem and reinforce the emotional abuse they may already be enduring.
"Such comments also contribute to a culture of silence, where victims are less likely to report abuse or seek help because they internalize the belief that they deserve mistreatment. Over time, the cumulative effect of demeaning language creates a toxic environment that affects not only individual women but the broader community, making gender-based violence more acceptable and pervasive. In short, negative comments about women do more than harm feelings—they perpetuate cycles of abuse, inequality, and systemic violence.
"Addressing these attitudes is critical in the fight against domestic violence and in building a society where women are valued and respected.”
1st Phorm and Frisella did not respond to a request for comment as of Monday evening.
"I would hope that whoever is in his circle would kind of help bring him along a little faster and help him understand,” Washington said. “I would like to see what the women in his family, in his companies, and the women who drive his business think about his comments."