Just one week after a New York-based newscaster was relieved of his duties for using a racial slur live while discussing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., another anchor in St. Louis has come under fire for doing the same thing. Unlike Jeremy Kappell, Kevin Steincross will not be fired.
Steincross, an employee of KTVI-TV in St. Louis, Missouri, uttered the racial slur during Thursday's 5 a.m. broadcast. According to The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Steincross referred to the civil rights pioneer as "Martin Luther Coon Jr."
Fox 2 Anchor can say MARTIN LUTHER "COON" JR on the air and all he have to do is apologize to audience, but April Simpson playfully called an intern Bruce Leroy in a email and she got fired from Fox 2???????????????? pic.twitter.com/N77cb8GciN
— City Boi Ent© (@JohnnyMack_) January 17, 2019
The "mistake" caught the attention of viewers across the St. Louis area.
This is unacceptable and very disappointing https://t.co/m4wIw0tih1
— STL COUNTY NAACP (@stlcountyNAACP) January 17, 2019
"Why does Kevin Steincross still have a job?" Twitter user Angela Wood wondered.
@FOX2now
@KevinStx why does Kevin Steincross still have a job?! Every person that has done this same “mistake” has been let go! But like we know, St. Louis is a RACIST city! You fired April Simpson and Kevin Steincross gets to stay! Yeah, @FOX2now is so racist!— Angela Wood (@arw_44_) January 18, 2019
Hours later, during the 9 a.m. broadcast, Steincross issued an apology, emphasizing that he meant no disrespect to Dr. King.
"We have heard from a viewer about a mistake I made in our 5 a.m. newscast," Steincross said. "In our story about the tribute to Dr. King, I unfortunately mispronounced his name. Please know I have total respect for Dr. King, what he meant and what he continues to mean to our country. This was not intentional in any way, and I sincerely apologize."
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Steincross will not face any disciplinary action for his remarks. The news site obtained a statement from executives at KTVI-TV, and in it, a spokesperson said Steincross' on-air gaffe is not reflective of his "core beliefs."
"The Fox2 management team spoke to Kevin following the mistake and we believe that it was truly inadvertent and does not reflect Kevin's core beliefs," the statement read. "Kevin is extremely upset by the mistake and regrets it deeply."
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