Podcaster Josh Neighbors: I used to be fired for airing Bob Huggins’ ‘Catholic f–s’ feedback uncensored
A podcaster protecting the Massive 12 is paying the worth for his dealing with of West Virginia coach Bob Huggins’ use of an anti-gay slur on a Cincinnati radio show.
Huggins referred to Xavier followers as “Catholic f–s” throughout an interview with Invoice Cunningham on WLW in Cincinnati on Monday.
Josh Neighbors, the host of the “Locked On Massive 12” podcast, mentioned he selected to air Huggins’ feedback uncensored throughout an immediate response model of his present and introduced Wednesday evening on Twitter that the choice price him his job.
“I made the acutely aware resolution to play Bob Huggins’ feedback of their entirety and with out censoring the slurs that he used,” Neighbors mentioned within the video. “I did that as a result of I believed it was necessary to play and get the complete context of what he had mentioned. I adopted that up by saying I believed what he mentioned was abhorrent. I believed it was hateful and likewise that if I used to be the AD I might have fired him and I might not need any person like that espousing these views teaching my crew.”
Neighbors has been with the community based by Utah Jazz radio voice David Locke since January 2020 and produced greater than 600 episodes for it — however mentioned the corporate selected to not budge on it “zero-tolerance coverage” for hate speech.
Although Neighbors mentioned he might disagree with the choice, he understands the corporate’s proper to make it.
“The parents at Locked On felt otherwise,” he mentioned. “They felt as a result of I willingly was posting hate speech, which I did. … I used to be clearly not utilizing the hate speech, I used to be making an attempt to fight it and say it’s horrible and terrible and mustn’t occur. To play it and provides the complete context to offer the oldsters an opportunity to listen to all of it, I did make the selection to play that.”
Neighbors, who additionally hosts the corporate’s Nationals present, mentioned he did get to speak to Locke briefly on Wednesday — however not different decision-makers — to attempt to make his case, however in accordance with him, the choice to take away him because the host already had been made.
He went on to thank the community for the chance it had given him and mentioned he hoped to proceed to cowl the Massive 12 in some capability sooner or later.
“It was a really tough dialog,” Neighbors mentioned. “I perceive they’ve their guidelines. I would disagree with them, however there’s a zero-tolerance coverage on hate speech whether or not you’re decrying it or utilizing it. That’s their prerogative.”
Huggins however was allowed to keep his job as the Mountaineers basketball coach, however did face different penalties.
The 69-year-old Corridor of Famer’s wage was slashed from $4.2 million to $3.2 million, and he can be suspended for the primary three video games of the season and attend sensitivity coaching.
The varsity additionally introduced that “any incidents of comparable derogatory and offensive language will end in instant termination,” and Huggins’ contract is now a year-to-year settlement.