A Connecticut sports reporter was fired after calling Senator Tim Scott a racial slur in a now-deleted tweet.
Former News 12 sports reporter Fred Gerteiny was swiftly terminated when he referred to Scott as an “Uncle Tom” in a tweet that was captured by The Hill.
The Hill tweeted a link to their story about President Donald Trump saying, “stand back and stand by,” in reference to a question from Biden about right-wing activist group, Proud Boys.
Scott said he thought the president “misspoke,” and he called on the president to clarify the statement.
Gerteiny responded by tweeting, “Thanks Uncle Tom.”
Among the angry responders was David Dudenhoefer, who is running to replace Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib in the House of Representatives.
“Wow! Screenshots are forever @FredGerteiny! This is a disgrace,” Dudenhoefer wrote. “You owe @SenatorTimScott an immediate apology!”
News 12 Network issued a statement following the public backlash.
“After reviewing the incident, the network released sports reporter, Fred Gerteiny, as a result of a racially insensitive comment. News 12 Networks has a zero-tolerance policy for racism or improper conduct based on race, and prides itself on being an objective and unbiased multi-platform news company.”
When asked if he apologized, Gerteiny tweeted that he “wrote an email to Senator Scott.”
