Photo Samica Knight Elita Loresca-745x486.jpg
ABC 13

ABC 13 defended Asian meteorologist Elita Loresca who appeared to disrespect Black anchor Samica Knight during a bizarre on-air exchange.

Loresca commented on Knight’s “dry legs” as the Houston-based reporters chatted while live on the air.

“I saw you walking from the desk, girl, you need some lotion on your dry legs,” Loresca said as the camera rolled. Knight replied, “No, you’re right. Uh, yeah, they’re pretty ashy this morning.”

Knight gasped as the camera began to pan down. “Are you serious? Don’t do that! Do not! They’re really bad this morning,” she said.

But Loresca urged the cameraman to show Knight’s ashy legs on the air: “Do that! Do that!”

Some ABC 13 viewers were shocked by the on-air exchange. “In what universe is this acceptable?” an Instagram user captioned the video clip.

“So is public humiliation of your employees just a normal part of your work culture or what?” another commenter wrote. The viewer called for “a very public apology” from Loresca, the cameraman and the news station.

But ABC 13 anchor Mayra Moreno defended Loresca. Moreno said she knows both women personally and this is their way of joking “on air and off air.”

Moreno said the clip was taken out of context and created a narrative that is not true. She said “Elita is not the person these people are making her out to be,” and that the situation has been “blown way out of proportion.”

Tashara Parker, a former WFAA 8 Dallas-Fort Worth morning anchor and traffic reporter, also defended Loresca, saying she has seen multiple videos of Loresca and Knight “cutting up” together on the air and off the air.

Loresca and Knight have not commented publicly on the controversy.

Question: Should ABC 13 fire the meteorologist for her unprofessional comment on the air?