Emily Austen Fired
Fox Sports Florida"s Emily Austen, who worked as a sideline reporter on Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Rays broadcasts, has been taken off the air by the network after she made racist and insensitive comments during a Barstool Sports Facebook Live webcast.
A Magic spokesman said it"s the team"s understanding that Fox Sports Florida has fired Austen.
During Barstool Sports" 35-minute video, one of the hosts mentioned how an undocumented immigrant who graduated from a high school with a 4.5 grade-point average had received a scholarship to the University of Texas.
"I didn"t even know Mexicans were that smart," Austen said.
When one of the hosts responded by calling Austen "Trump Junior," Austen said she knew her comment sounded harsh. Then she said: "You guys know that the Chinese guy"s always the smartest guy in math class."
The conversation soon turned to Jewish people, with one of the hosts mentioning how Jews are "a little stingy" and "hold onto their pennies."
"Yeah," Austen said. "I went to school in Boca, so I know most of that. The way I used to talk to the Jews in Boca, they hated it because I was a server and I just didn"t care, and they would complain and b---- about everything."
Austen also called Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love "a little b----" on several occasions. She said Love "has no aggression" when he plays.
Austen, 27, did not return a request for comment from the Orlando Sentinel.
Fox Sports Florida hired Austen early last year from the Boston Celtics after she worked as a host and reporter for the Celtics" website.
In addition to her sideline duties for Magic and Rays broadcasts, she also appeared on the network"s "Inside the Magic" and "Inside the Rays" shows.
Austen was not employed by the Magic or the Rays.
In contrast, Magic play-by-play announcer David Steele, color commentator Jeff Turner and host and sideline reporter Dante Marchitelli are Magic employees even though they appear on Fox Sports Florida telecasts.
"We were made aware that Emily Austen appeared in a social media video unaffiliated with Fox Sports in which she made insensitive and derogatory comments," Fox Sports Florida general manager and senior vice president Steve Tello said in a statement.
"She was not speaking on behalf of Fox Sports, nor do we condone any of the statements she made in the video. Emily has been advised that her comments were unacceptable, and she is not scheduled to appear on any upcoming Fox Sports Florida or Fox Sports Sun broadcasts."
Joel Glass, the Magic"s chief spokesman, said: "We completely support Fox"s decision regarding her insensitive and derogatory comments and it is our understanding her employment with Fox has ended."
jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.
Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/os-emily-austen-comments-0611-20160610-story.html
