Meteorologist fired for making racist statements in defamation

A meteorologist who was fired for apparently using a racial insult during a broadcast complained against his former employer, accusing the TV channel of breach of contract and defamation.

Jeremy Kappell, who was chief meteorologist for WHEC, an NBC affiliate in Rochester, NY, filed the complaint against WHEC-TV, Hubbard Broadcasting and WHEC chief executive Richard Reingold on Monday, according to case 13 WHAM , a local subsidiary of ABC.

In addition to breach of contract and defamation, the lawsuit accuses WHEC, Hubbard Broadcasting and Reingold of intentionally inflicting emotional distress and negligently inflicting emotional distress. WHAM noted that Kappell is asking for a jury trial for his dismissal, as well as a pecuniary judgment.

The lawsuit comes more than three months after Kappell described a park in Rochester, New York, named after the human rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., under the name "Martin Luther Coon" Park during a television show in the evening. Kappell had then declared that he was speaking "too fast" and had said the text insulting by mistake.

The statement provoked an uproar in the community. The mayor of Rochester, Lovely Warren, called for Kappell's resignation. Reingold announced a few days after the segment that Kappell was no longer employed by the TV channel.

"The words have no place on the air of News10NBC," he said in a statement.

Kappell's lawsuit, which was filed in Monroe County Court, indicates that the "insensitive and reckless" behavior of the accused has caused "great emotional distress" at Kappell, according to WHAM. He claims that Kappell made a "linguistic mistake" in speaking of Rochester Park.

The lawsuit also accuses Reingold of defaming Kappell by "representing to the world that Kappell had intentionally made a racial insult".

"In doing so, Reingold defamed Kappell because he knew or ought to have known that his statement, particularly with regard to the linguistic mistake and Kappell's intention, was false," says the trial.

"We are disappointed that Mr. Kappell has taken this step and are ready to defend our decision to the fullest," said WHEC-TV in a statement released Monday, said WHAM-TV. "Because this case is now before the courts, we will not make any further comment."