First, he apologized.
Then, the NAACP met with KTVI Kevin Steincross‘ bosses and asked for his termination after he mispronounced Martin Luther King Jr’s name and said “Martin Luther Coon Jr” live on air.
On Friday, Fox 2 managers and Steincross confirmed he would be off the morning show indefinitely to regain the trust of the community.
“Station management and I have agreed that I need to step away from the anchor desk for now. I will begin working to regain your trust. I know the work I need to do will take time, and I will do everything I can to address the pain I caused.”
Steincross apologized on air shortly after his slip up. Some called it intentional.
This is the second time in a month that an on air personality has mispronounced King’s name on the air. Rochester meteorologist Jeremy Kappell was fired for what he called a “verbal slip.”