‘A Second Violation of Our Social Media Guidelines’
ESPN has just suspended Jemele Hill over her usage of Twitter. Last month the co-host of “SportsCenter” had posted a lengthy series of tweets in which she called President Trump a “white supremacist.” ESPN in an oddly-worded statement noted there has been a “second violation” of its social media policy, but did not elaborate.
“Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for a second violation of our social media guidelines,” ESPN’s statement reads. “She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues and company down with an impulsive tweet. In the aftermath, all employees were reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences. Hence this decision.”
CNN’s Brian Stelter pointed to this tweet as being part of the reason she was suspended for two weeks:
After posting that tweet Hill was accused by at least one right wing website of calling for a boycott of the NFL. She denied doing so before the suspension was announced. She did appear to call for a boycott of advertisers, after referencing NFL owner Jerry Jones’ demand that all his Dallas Cowboys players will stand for the national anthem.
Deadspin says ESPN had “no good reason” to suspend Hill.
“This is now the second time in a month that ESPN has fallen on its face while trying to discipline one of its biggest personalities for daring to talk politics on Twitter. Meanwhile, the goddamn vice president of the United States is out here staging a political stunt at a Colts game.”
Back in September Hill called Trump “a white supremacist” who has surrounded himself with other “white supremacists.”
Here’s Hill speaking about Colin Kaepernick and the NFL back in March:
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