Meteorologist Fired For Offensive ‘Flub’ During Live Broadcast

Meet Jeremy Kappell. He’s a meteorologist out of New York who was fired after accidentally jumbling his words and uttering what sounded like a racial slur during his broadcast.

.@InsideEdition kicked off Wednesday’s episode with the story regarding @JeremyKappell and how much support he has received nationwide. I’m primarily a @News_8 viewer myself but I stand with Kappell and his case. It was clearly a flub. Here’s the story: https://t.co/TTRyt62xtr

— Sammy Maggio | #JusticeForJeremy (@SammyMaggio) January 9, 2019

During WHEC-TV’s Friday evening broadcast, Jeremy Kappell said “Martin Luther Coon Park,” when referring to a downtown Rochester park named after slain civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr.

In a video viewed by CNN, Kappell says “King” immediately after using the slur and continues with the broadcast.

Kappell said his use of the slur was a mistake caused by speaking too quickly.

People freaked out, and he was fired. He addressed the controversy in a video Monday.

“What happened on Friday, to me, it’s a simple misunderstanding,” he said in a video. “If you watch me regularly you know that I tend to contain a lot of information in my weather cast, which forces me to speak fast and unfortunately I spoke a little too fast when I was referencing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So fast to the point where I jumbled a couple of words. In my mind I knew I mispronounced, but there was no malice. I had no idea the way it came across to many people.”

“I had no idea what some people could have interpreted that as and I know some people did interpret that the wrong way,” he continued. “That was not a word I said, I promise you that. If you did feel that it hurt you in any way, I sincerely apologize.”

WHEC’s vice president and general manager Richard A. Reingold said in a statement released Sunday that Kappell was fired after an internal investigation and discussion.

“I apologize for our broadcast of a racial slur in a reference to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park during our Friday evening broadcast,” Reingold said. He added that the station believes in holding reporters and anchors “to the highest standard.”

Kappell has been a meteorologist for two decades and expressed his disappointment with his former employer.

“I’m so disappointed that my career could end this way and I’m extremely disappointed by my television station, whom I expect a certain level of support from and I did not receive at all,” he said.

What a travesty. Does anyone really think he said this on purpose? Mispronounce one word and you lose your job and maybe career. Insane. New York meteorologist fired after using racial slur on airhttps://t.co/JS8qPeSPGs

— Todd Grisham (@Grishamfight) January 8, 2019

I think @JeremyKappell made an unfortunate flub and should be given the chance to apologize on @news10nbc Anyone who has done live tv and screwed up (google any number of ones I’ve done) understands.

— Al Roker (@alroker) January 9, 2019

Al, thank you very much. Your support means so much to this family.

— Jeremy Kappell (@JeremyKappell) January 9, 2019

What do you think? The SJW mob strikes again?

h/t Twitchy