Local meteorologist fired for racist remark

[96Firebird]

I'll start this off by saying I don't post here much, let alone start threads. I try to stay out of politics and all that, but I like to read up on how other people feel about what is going on in the country and the world.

This is a local-to-me story that I want to get your guys' opinion on. A news meteorologist was accused of making a racial slur on-air during a live broadcast, videos below. I couldn't find a good, clean recording so we get what we get.

Facebook link (hope it works): https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10212107640037628&id=1574055347

YouTube link (I think it's a recording of the Facebook video):

Yesterday, they had posted this apology:

A statement from News10NBC's Vice-President and General Manager Richard Reingold:

On behalf of News10NBC, I apologize for our broadcast of a racial slur in reference to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park during our Friday evening broadcast (1/4/19). This word has no place on News10NBC’s air, and the fact that we broadcast it disheartens and disgusts me; that it was not caught immediately is inexcusable. I regret that we did not immediately interrupt our broadcast and apologize on the spot.

I am personally investigating how and why this happened. Our Friday broadcast does not represent the values of News10NBC, its hardworking staff, or the great people of Rochester. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of America’s greatest heroes – for whom I, and all of us at News10NBC, have the utmost respect. I am terribly sorry to all of our viewers. We are redoubling our efforts to ensure that this never happens again.

Richard A. Reingold
Vice-President and General Manager

Today, the mayor of the city of Rochester called for his resignation. The news station then reworded the previous statement, and added that they had fired the meteorologist.

A statement from News10NBC's Vice-President and General Manager Richard Reingold:

On behalf of News10NBC, I apologize for our broadcast of a racial slur in a reference to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park during our Friday evening broadcast (1/4/19). Upon learning of the incident, News10NBC leadership immediately initiated an internal investigation and internal discussion, and by Sunday had made a staffing change.

As a result of that broadcast, meteorologist Jeremy Kappell is no longer with News10NBC. We believe strongly in holding our reporters and anchors to the highest standard. We are proud of our dedicated newsroom professionals, and expect and require that each respects and understands that their behavior reflects directly on the station for which they work and the community we serve.

These words have no place on News10NBC’s air, and the fact that we broadcast them disheartens and disgusts me; that it was not caught immediately is inexcusable. I regret that we did not immediately interrupt our broadcast and apologize on the spot.

Our Friday broadcast does not represent the values of News10NBC, its hardworking staff, or the great people of Rochester. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of America’s greatest heroes – for whom I, and all of us at News10NBC, have the utmost respect. I am terribly sorry to all of our viewers. We are redoubling our efforts to ensure that this never happens again.

I am all for businesses being able to fire any employee for any reason, but I see this as a stammering of words that happened to sound not good. I figured the station would issue their apology and move on, but I didn't expect the guy to get fired for it.

Your opinions?

Edit - For what it's worth, he was with the station for a year and 3 months.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Slip of the tongue and nothing more. Try talking for a living and you appreciate this more and more. I talk to 100 different people a day explaining things and will slip up all the time. It happens a lot.

 

[UberNeuman]

Seems like a slip of the tongue. Now, the question is did this guy have a history of acting racist or making these type of remarks? If not, then it's an overreaction.

 

[Victorian Gray]

nm. Can't be bothered

 

[Jaskalas]

How the !@#$ does one add an entire word to MLK Jr?
He must hate, and I mean literally hate, MLK and personally do that to his name all the time. Pretty explicit racial slur at that.

I feel for what it'll do for this guy's life, his income, his home, his family if he has one. Loss of income means loss of mortgage payment... loss of home, loss of family pets who'd be denied at some hole in the wall apartment. A huge disaster for him now that there are consequences.

But really, what kind of man has THAT slip of the tongue?

 

[TheVrolok]

How the !@#$ does one add an entire word to MLK Jr?
He must hate, and I mean literally hate, MLK and personally do that to his name all the time. Pretty explicit racial slur at that.

I feel for what it'll do for this guy's life, his income, his home, his family if he has one. Loss of income means loss of mortgage payment... loss of home, loss of family pets who'd be denied at some hole in the wall apartment. A huge disaster for him now that there are consequences.

But really, what kind of man has THAT slip of the tongue?

Tough to say, I wonder if he was mixing "King and Junior" then caught himself mid Junior and corrected after saying "Kun" essentially. I speak fairly quickly at baseline and not incredibly uncommonly will smash words together like that only to catch myself mid word. Kinda a variant of Spoonerism.

As another poster said, would have to see if this guy has any other history of such things.

 

[HurleyBird]

This is going to be a fun litmus test to delineate the progressives here from the regressives.

 

[UberNeuman]

This is going to be a fun litmus test to delineate the progressives here from the regressives.

You're a fun test of how long a brain can function without oxygen.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

You don't make those mistakes in Rochester.

 

[Lanyap]

Tough to say, I wonder if he was mixing "King and Junior" then caught himself mid Junior and corrected after saying "Kun" essentially. I speak fairly quickly at baseline and not incredibly uncommonly will smash words together like that only to catch myself mid word. Kinda a variant of Spoonerism.

As another poster said, would have to see if this guy has any other history of such things.

That’s what I was thinking. Someone from ESPN said the same thing back in 2010. Did they say it on purpose or are they racist and it “slipped out”.

 

[Ichinisan]

Sounded exactly like a slip of the tongue. "Kung" instead of "King"

 

[HomerJS]

I think it was the same "slip" when a Republicans called Congressman Barney Frank, Barney i love you

 

[TheVrolok]

Didn't realize the exact same thing happened to Mike Greensburg. I'm feeling pretty badly for this guy. Again, needs some historical evaluation, but if there's no other reported history of racism a slip of the tongue seems more likely than the alternative.

 

[purbeast0]

404 - racist remark not found.

IMO it clearly sounds just like he slipped up unintentionally.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Burn him at the stake!

 

[Homerboy]

Meh. Overblown. All that was needed was an apology.

The only way I could see this if the guy was already in hot water at the station for other things and this was a final straw. But that wouldn't include the mayor getting involved (really? That's what the mayor is doing?)

 

[HomerJS]

I heard a replay today. They should not have fired the guy. The answer was to immediately apologize before the end of the show. That allowed everyone to get worked up.

They should rehire the guy.

 

[Moonbeam]

Don't think of the word 'hippopotamus'.

 

[Jaskalas]

But really, what kind of man has THAT slip of the tongue?

Tough to say, I wonder if he was mixing "King and Junior" then caught himself mid Junior and corrected after saying "Kun" essentially. I speak fairly quickly at baseline and not incredibly uncommonly will smash words together like that only to catch myself mid word. Kinda a variant of Spoonerism.

As another poster said, would have to see if this guy has any other history of such things.

Ah, a repeated word to correct slurred speech. Yes, that would make sense.

 

[IronWing]

I can give the guy the benefit of the doubt but that particular formula of slur was quite common around the time the MLK holiday was created.

 

[jayzds]

Didn't realize the exact same thing happened to Mike Greensburg. I'm feeling pretty badly for this guy. Again, needs some historical evaluation, but if there's no other reported history of racism a slip of the tongue seems more likely than the alternative.

I agree^^
IMO it seems like an obvious slip of the tongue. I am sure people do or have used that narrative for a racist remark. But, that didn't sound like it to me anyways. People just look for any excuse to go after other peoples mistakes, and jumping to conclusions.

 

[LTC8K6]

It's a shame we live in such an environment these days. I hope he hires a lawyer.

 

[yllus]

If there's no prior history chalk it up to a really unfortunate slip of the tongue.

 

[Indus]

If there's no prior history chalk it up to a really unfortunate slip of the tongue.

I don't know how you say that unless you associate with or watch/ spend time with a ton of people that do that normally so much that you desensitize it and it becomes casual talk.

 

[TheVrolok]

I don't know how you say that unless you associate with or watch/ spend time with a ton of people that do that normally so much that you desensitize it and it becomes casual talk.

As mentioned above, mixed two words