Emmy Victor says racism contributed to her decision to leave Des Moines, Iowa CBS affiliate KCCI.
Though she told the Des Moines Register racism isn’t the prime reason she left, she did say “racism in the state did not help my decision to stay.”
Victor, whose last day was Friday, said she would feel uncomfortable when covering parts of rural Iowa and would get negative reactions on social media or when asking for interviews.
In June, Victor and KCCI photojournalist Zachary Hayes were reporting from a crime scene in Boone when they were confronted by a woman. Video showed the woman yelling at Victor, pushing the camera equipment, cursing and using a racial slur.
Both Victor and Hayes later were praised for maintaining their professionalism during the heated situation.
“One of the reasons I was so calm was because I had experienced racism before,” Victor said.
“What happened to (Victor) is upsetting to all of us,” news director Dave Busiek said about the incident.
She started her career at KCCI in 2014 after graduating from Howard University in Washington, D.C.