By Fox Doucette
April 16, 2018 at 1:56pm
At the 2017 Australian Open tennis tournament, ESPN commentator Doug Adler described Venus Williams’ game as having a “guerrilla effect.â€
ESPN (and many on social media, who savaged Adler for his perceived insensitivity) heard it as “gorilla effect,†widely considered a racial slur when directed at black athletes.
Adler, for his part, apologized, saying he “simply and inadvertently chose the wrong word†and claiming that he meant no offense to Williams or black people in general.
ESPN, though, wasn’t satisfied and promptly let him go.
Now, Adler is getting his day in court.
Adler is suing for wrongful termination on the grounds that ESPN’s reaction to the viral outcry led them to fire him for something he didn’t actually say.
https://www.thewildcard.com/espn-going-to-court-over-announcer-accused-of-calling-venus-williams-a-gorilla/