WMU Grad And Detroit Reporter Fired For Racial Comment
A slip of the tongue has destroyed his career, and he is so sorry!
Kevin Dietz is Michigander through and through, but his time in the state maybe limited at this point. A grad of Western Michigan University, and a veteran of Local 4 Detroit (WDIV) news team since 1993, has left his post at the TV station. Kevin explained to Deadline Detroit what took place that led to his departure from his long term employer...
While attending a social event during the conference, we took a WDIV team photo and I jokingly said to the group “We are probably going to have to crop the black reporter out of the photo.” The intent of my comment was to openly acknowledge, amongst team members, the challenge it’s been for our company, and many companies, to achieve diversity goals. This is a serious subject that I approached through humor. Nevertheless, the station has a zero tolerance policy on racially insensitive comments and they determined, despite the intent and context of my statement, that it violated the policy. I understand and support the need for such policies.
Marla Drutz, vice president and general manager at WDIV, had a brief coment about Kevin's decision to leave...
Kevin Dietz has resigned from WDIV effective immediately. We’ve had a long relationship with Kevin and we wish him well. Personnel issues such as this are respectfully private and we will have no further comment.
I am just wondering if Kevin will return to where started many moons ago, Kalamazoo!