FIRED OVER FACEBOOK COMMENT

A female meteorologist at KTBS-TV in Shreveport, LA, is out of a job after responding to what she considered to be a viewer’s rude remark on the station’s Facebook page.

Rhonda Lee, who happens to be African-American, noticed a comment about her on the KTBS Facebook page which had gone unanswered for several days.  Lee wears her hair in a short afro style, but one viewer took issue with her choice to embrace her ethnicity.

On October 1st, viewer Emmitt Vascocu wrote:

“the black lady that does the news is a very nice lady. the only thing is she needs to wear a wig or grow some more hair. im not sure if she is a cancer patient. but still its not something myself that i think looks good on tv. what about letting someone a male have waist long hair do the news. what about that (cq).”

Lee responded with the following:

Hello Emmitt–I am the ‘black lady’ to which you are referring. I’m sorry you don’t like my ethnic hair. And no I don’t have cancer. I’m a non-smoking, 5’3, 121 lbs, 25 mile a week running, 37.5 year old woman, and I’m in perfectly healthy physical condition.


I am very proud of my African-American ancestry which includes my hair. For your edification: traditionally our hair doesn’t grow downward. It grows upward. Many Black women use strong straightening agents in order to achieve a more European grade of hair and that is their choice. However in my case I don’t find it necessary. I’m very proud of who I am and the standard of beauty I display. Women come in all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and levels of beauty. Showing little girls that being comfortable in the skin and HAIR God gave me is my contribution to society. Little girls (and boys for that matter) need to see that what you look like isn’t a reason to not achieve their goals.


Conforming to one standard isn’t what being American is about and I hope you can embrace that.


Thank you for your comment and have a great weekend and thanks for watching.”

Despite her pleasant but pointed response to the viewer, KTBS fired Lee over her remarks, with little justification as to why.

“I had a meeting with my ND [news director] and GM [general manager] Friday trying to get my job back,” Lee explained. “They told me the policy I violated isn’t written down, but was mentioned in a newsroom meeting about a month-and-a-half prior. A meeting I didn’t attend. So when I asked what rule did I break there isn’t anything to point to.

“The week I was brought in to discuss [my] post, I was told by my ND that there were a few unclear things in the policy and that we were going to have a meeting with George Sirven, the GM about it. I was instead fired the next week — no discussion had. Sirven claims that even if a policy isn’t on paper we as employees are responsible for abiding by them. There isn’t anything in our employee manual talking about social media dos and don’ts. I was accountable for a rule that essentially isn’t in existence.”

Lee has since called attention to the issue through various television and news interviews.  Although she is stunned by the firing that her former employer refuses to reverse, she is taking it in stride.

“Race has been the issue with me since I started. That much is VERY true,” Lee said. “Weather is an older white boy business and arms have been less than open for a young black girl — a polar opposite. As reported I’ve had more problems here in the south than I have anywhere else in my 25+ years in the business. Perhaps there is a pattern, but I am a glutton for punishment (ha, ha), and I want what I deserve as any professional would so if I have to fight for it I will.”