A white meteorologist at a Memphis TV station is under fire after posting a racial slur directed at Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, USA Today reports.
Following Saturday's (May 7) Grizzlies-Warriors matchup, Fox13 Memphis meteorologist Joey Sulipeck said in a now-deleted tweet, "And chew on this: Draymond runs his knuckle-dragging open mouth ALL GAME LONG, but mild-mannered Kyle Anderson disputes one call and gets ejected? Next level jackassery."
After facing heat for his "knuckle-dragging" comment, a Neanderthal age reference that perpetuates racist tropes of Black people as apes, Sulipeck wiped the tweet along with his entire Twitter account.
On Monday (May 9) Fox13 said in statement, "During Saturday’s Memphis Grizzlies’ game, Meteorologist Joey Sulipeck tweeted a comment that does not reflect the values of FOX13." The statement continued, "We take this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action pending a full investigation."
According to USA Today, the details of what the "full investigation" will entail are unknown.
Reports say Sulipeck also sent out a follow-up tweet before deleting his account.
"Anyone who knows me knows what I am. Race is never an issue to me. To anyone who was offended, I apologize but there was no ill intent," the tweet allegedly read.
Green seemingly responded to the meteorologist's slur via his Instagram story, "Are you surprised? Don’t apologize. STAND ON IT!"
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a statement that he wasn't surprised by Sulipeck's racially charged comments.
"Does it surprise me that a weatherman would tweet a slur at Draymond in 2022? Not in the slightest bit," Kerr said. "This is America. This is how we operate."
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