Will people start calling him N*gger guy?
Posted on 05/08/2009 12:13:44 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A white reporter accuses Fox TV of racial bias in suspending and firing him for suggesting, in a newsroom meeting, that the station not shy away from using "the N word" in a report on an NAACP youth group's ceremony "to symbolically bury the word '******' and its negative connotations."
Plaintiff Thomas Burlington says that during a news meeting on June 23, 2007, the reporter on the story (nonparty) Robin Taylor, "used the euphemistic phrase 'the n-word' rather than the actual word '******.'
"Plaintiff expressed his opinion that using the phrase 'the n-word' rather than the actual word '*****' ultimately gives the word itself more power. Ms. Taylor responded that she personally did not feel that it was appropriate to use the word '*****' and that she would not do so during her broadcast presentation.
"While plaintiff was speaking, he noticed that Nicole Wolfe (black), newscast producer, seemed uncomfortable with his comments. Immediately after the meeting ended, plaintiff approached Ms. Wolfe and apologized if he had offended her with his comments.
"Approximately one hour after the meeting ended, Joyce Evans (black), weekend anchor/reporter, told plaintiff that he had offended some people with the word that he used. Ms. Evans was not present at the editorial meeting and was not privy to the discussion that plaintiff had with Ms. Wolfe."
Burlington, who was hired in December 2004 as a reporter and promoted to reporter and weekend news anchor in February 2006, says he apologized personally to everyone who was at the meeting. Nonetheless, he says, he was suspended on June 29, and the suspension lasted until he was fired in February 2008.
Burlington says an inaccurate story in the Philadelphia Daily News complicated things. Burlington says a company-"sanctioned" counselor met with him on July 7, 2007, and found "that she did not believe that he had any racial bias or related issued and that she planned to report that he was 'fit for duty.'"
But he says the Daily News reported on July 5, in "a false and defamatory article," that he had "used the word '*****' more than 12 times in a 'bizarre' and 'shocking' sermon. The article implied that plaintiff's belief was that using the word '*****' in any context was 'not a big deal.' Upon information and belief, the article was based on false and defamatory statements made by employees of defendants."
Burlington says Fox never let him return from suspension, but cited the Daily News article in a July 12 meeting at which he was told "that due to the negative publicity from the article in The Daily News and concerns that defendants had for this safety and the safety of the photographers with whom he worked, defendants did not want him to return to work." He says he was given the chance to resign, refused, and was not allowed to return from suspension until he was fired 7 months later.
Burlington claims he was "subjected to a hostile work environment based on his race," and that his firing was "pretextual," discriminatory, and done with "reckless indifference." He demands punitive damages.
The Daily News is not named as a party in this federal lawsuit. Defendants are News Corp., Fox Television Stations, and Fox Television Stations of Philadelphia. Burlington is represented by Stephen Console.
Is the word actually censored in the original article? Pathetic.
He wasn’t fired because of his race, he was fired because he’s an idiot.
I agree with his belief that the way we use this word gives it immense power, and demoting it to just another word would strip away that power.
But he’s an idiot for not realizing that this opinion is not presently permitted in our society. I certainly wouldn’t share it publicly. Fox doesn’t need someone that stupid working for them in the public eye.
How many rap albums and comedy videos were thrown into the mock grave?
“Can’t you see this man is a ni...” - Blazing Saddles
Sorry, misspoke.
The opinion is permitted in our society. Public expression of this opinion by a white person is not.
PS, there is a soundbite of our current president using the word to sound “street tough” in one of his audio books.
Don’t know if he was “quoting” someone, or just trying for cred.
“A White Reporter”. Give me a break.
FOX countersues because the “reporter” is a world class nit wit.
No they spelled it out complete several times.
All we have here is someone saying Nicole appeared "uncomfortable", whatever that means ~ could have been dairy products hidden in her breakfast doughnut, or maybe her panty hose slipped ~ with women that obvious "uncomfortable feeling" all too frequently has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else's reality.
I suggest we bring Nicole onto FR sometime for an interview and see just which words really bother her, which ones don't, and how she sees a way out of the dilemma other than just firing the whitemen she works with.
I'm sure we could plumb the depths of her distress Fur Shur.
Make sure she can type though. I really can't stand to work a discussion thread with anyone who's not a good typist ~ it's just so tacky.
So let me get this straight, Fox is racist because they refuse to say n****? Umm, isn’t it the other way around? Only racists say n****.
Of course, people will only read the headline and say “see that racist Fox network is at it again.”
Why were they even doing a news report on a symbolic ceremony to bury the forbidden word?
I agree it is an ugly word.
Does it take away from the youth group's action if there is no media attention? Isn't it really just an exercise in growing themselves to say "I won't use this word which others have used to denigrate me even if Hollywood tells me it is a 'cool' word"?
This playing of the race card is getting quite tiresome.
before we know it there will only be 7 allowable words for us to use in the english language....
He revealed that he doesn’t have a clue, LOL.
Hey,Gabby Johnson!
Never heard of him. Is this some local reporter?
And you better be real careful how you use two of those.
I’ll bet that white reporter is just a natural nagger. Nag, nag, nag.
Will people start calling him N*gger guy?
I &&&&&&& that %%%%%%% is ####### and that $$$$$$$ is !!!!!!!! +++++++.
I think the fired reporter has a case.
Ummm.... I know it, Pat, but I don’t know if I should saaay it...
Only if he can make a case that a black reporter saying the same thing would not have been fired, and possibly not then.
Sure, but they have no problem using the word “******” all the time.
One of the funniest South Park’s ever!
“WHAT?!?” - townsfolk of Rock Ridge
You STILL won’t be able to say them in media. (H/T to Geo. Carlin)
“I know the answer but...I don’t think I should say it.” - South Park
"Kiss it!"
From another article I read, I think that is exactly the case his lawyer intends to make.
They could wind up trying the idea that there are words which some people are allowed to use and others are not.
I think it gets settled.
Wow, that could go all the way to the top...
First of all “Retarded Reporter”. Yes, it’s stupid to use “the N word”, but “nigger” just seems like a step in the wrong direction too. Maybe “racial epithat”.
Just because someone called a person a “b&tch” doesn’t mean I want it used repeatedly on the news.
All praise president for life barrak obama?
no, a non-hispanic or a non-african american, etc. (Sarcasm)
There’s only one word YOU need to be concerning yourself with: Crimethink.
Ah seen white n*****s. Seen a lots o’em.
Just thinning the newsroom of morons.
Didn’t Mr light in the loafers, Shep Smith use the F word on a show recently? Are they afraid of the fag backlash if they fire him?
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