A Fort Lauderdale-area television producer was fired from her job at a local news station for using the N-word in reference to her neighbor’s son’s girlfriend during an argument that was caught on tape.
According to The Miami Herald, 49-year-old Robin Cross was initially placed on leave from WSVN-Channel 7, after her neighbor’s son wrote a complaint letter stating that the woman used a racial slur during an argument. After the video went viral, Cross was fired indefinitely.
“After conducting a thorough investigation, WSVN has terminated a 7 News producer who was caught on cellphone video using a racial slur,” said station spokeswoman Lily Pardo. “WSVN will not tolerate any kind of discriminatory language or behavior.”
Cross and her neighbor Robert Fenton began squabbling over a longstanding issue involving parking on their street. The two have reportedly argued about this for years, and it finally came to a head.
“Cross is heard telling Fenton after he told her she is blocking his driveway,” writes the Herald. “Standing next to her car, she then launches into a tirade about how street parking is illegal anyway, but Fenton also parks there when the space is open.”
“You don’t f**king own the road…Yes, I used the word f**king if you haven’t heard it before,” she says in the video. “Except for your f**king son, who’s dating a f**king ni***r…I said it out loud, finally.”
“I’m glad WSVN did the right thing, and this puts the matter to rest as far as I’m concerned,” said Avery Fenton, the man’s son who wrote the letter to the station. “I hope she will act with more care and thoughtfulness with the people around her in the future. Everybody is owed dignity and respect. This was an issue of human decency, and I was just looking for WSVN to do the right thing.”