ESPN SportsCenter co-host Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for “a second violation of our social media guidelines,” network officials said Monday.
Hill created a controversy for ESPN in September when referring to President Trump as a “white supremacist.” On Sunday, she reportedly took to Twitter to suggest that NFL fans boycott advertisers associated with the Dallas Cowboys after team owner Jerry Jones said that any Cowboys player who “disrespects the flag” would not play, the latest twist in an ongoing controversy over sideline protests during the national anthem at NFL games.
After her initial Tweet, Hill followed up, posting: “If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers. Don’t place the burden squarely on the players.”
Then came this:
Just so we’re clear: I’m not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
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This comes after Hill was is a firestorm of controversy over her comments aimed at President Trump. Those resulted in criticism from a White House spokesperson, but no public disciplinary action from ESPN. Hill released a statement, saying: “My comments on Twitter expressed my personal beliefs. My regret is that my comments and the public way I made them painted ESPN in an unfair light. My respect for the company and my colleagues remains unconditional.”
ESPN officials released a statement Monday afternoon to announce Hill’s suspension over the latest series of tweets.
“She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues and company down with an impulsive tweek,” the statement read. “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.”
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