Sarah Zak, news director at Norfolk, Va., NBC affiliate WAVY is no longer with the station after allegedly saying the “N” word during an editorial meeting.
According to media blog The Desk, the story goes that around February 13 during an editorial meeting that was focused on an exclusive story about threats made toward a business in Portsmouth, Zak reportedly read from a search warrant that contained a number of profane words that Zak didn’t read, but she did read the racial epithet.
After hearing about it, Nexstar launched an investigation into the matter.
According to a person who attended one of the meetings, Zak made an emotional apology and offered to undergo sensitivity training.
Zak also told The Desk that the account of what happened in the newsroom was “inaccurate” and “misleading.” The story was first reported by FTV Live.
She had worked at the station since November 2021.
We asked WAVY about it and will update when we hear back.