Jemele Hill Suspended by ESPN After Response to Jerry Jones

Jemele Hill Suspended by ESPN After Response to Jerry Jones
Jemele Hill, the “SportsCenter” host on ESPN whose tweets last month calling President Trump a white supremacist caused the White
House to call for her firing, was suspended on Monday for once again running afoul of the company’s social media policy.
Jones was asked about Vice President Mike Pence, who attended an Indianapolis Colts game earlier in the day
but walked out after about two dozen players with the visiting San Francisco 49ers knelt during the national anthem.
ESPN said in a statement that Hill was suspended for “a second violation of our social
media guidelines.” She will not appear on television for the next two weeks.
Pence later tweeted, “I left today’s Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event
that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem,” referring to Trump.
John Skipper, ESPN’s president, wrote an internal memo emphasizing
that employees were allowed to participate in public discussion of political matters, but in doing so must abide by the company’s social media guidelines.
After her tweets about Trump last month, Hill, who is African-American, expressed regret
that the posts had “painted ESPN in an unfair light” but did not otherwise apologize.
Pence, who flew from Las Vegas for the game and then traveled to Los Angeles later
Sunday, was criticized for what many felt was a premeditated political stunt.