Weatherman Fired for Alleged Racial Slur During Live Broadcast Sues Former Employer

Published: 4/16/2019, 10:59:08 AM EDT

Weatherman Fired for Alleged Racial Slur During Live Broadcast Sues Former Employer — Jeremy Kappell, who was fired for allegedly saying a racial slur during a live broadcast, has sued his former employer. (Jeremy Kappell/Twitter)

A New York weatherman who was fired in January after allegedly uttering a racial slur during a live broadcast has filed a lawsuit against his former employer.

Jeremy Kappell allegedly slipped up while speaking during a live shot at Rochester's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park on Martin Luther King day.

Kappell, who had been the station's chief meteorologist since October 2017, said in a statement: "Some people interpreted that the wrong way. That's not a word I said and I promise you that. If you did feel it hurt you in any way I sincerely apologize."

After public officials weighed in, he was fired.

"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," Richard Reingold, the station's vice president, said in a statement announcing Kappell's firing.

"I regret that we did not immediately interrupt our broadcast and apologize on the spot."

The statement was followed by statements by Mayor Lovely Warren and City Council President Loretta Scott and the one from Kappell.

Now the weatherman, who recently launched his own website, says that Reingold reached his conclusion without any investigation and without speaking to Kappell.

Kappell described the incident in court papers obtained by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle as a "linguistic error," and says that it wasn't until after the mayor and others declared that he'd made a racial slur that the station decided to fire him.

Reingold's statement "attributed a non-existent intent to Kappell that Reingold could not reasonably had knowledge of and representing to the world that Kappell had intentionally uttered a racial slur," the civil complaint added.

Kappell said that the firing violated his 3-year contract and caused him to suffer lost wages and emotional distress. It also harmed his prospects for getting a job elsewhere.

The station said it knew of the lawsuit, reported WHAM.

"We are disappointed that Mr. Kappell has taken this step, and are prepared to defend our decision to the fullest," the statement said. "Because this matter is now in the courts, we will have no further comment."

Some Defend Kappell

After the video of Kappell's alleged slur went viral, some stepped forward to defend him even as others called for him to be fired.

Al Roker, the weather anchor for NBC's "Today" show, said that the meteorologist should be given another chance.

"Anyone who has done live TV and screwed up (Google any number of ones I've done) understands," Roker said in a tweet.

Kappell thanked Roker, telling him: "Al, thank you very much. Your support means so much to this family."

In addition, an online petition for Kappell drew over 67,000 signatures.

"Jeremy had a slip of words on air regarding Martin Luther King Jr. Jeremy was fired from his job. He was not given a chance to explain or apologize. This is a good man who had no malice, no intent, no wrong doing. This was an honest slip of the tongue that could happen to anyone. We are all human, we are not perfect," wrote Jessica Batman, who started the petition.

"Is destroying this man's career and slandering him in the press a deserved action? The TV station automatically just fired him. If they are going to judge him so harshly shouldn't they have heard him out? We believe this is not deserved. We believe this judgment on his career and character is unjust. We want Jeremy Kappell back on the air. We stand with Jeremy Kappell."