Radio hosts who called NJ attorney general ‘turban man’ back on air

The hosts of a popular New Jersey radio station who were suspended last month after they referred to the state’s Sikh attorney general as “turban man” are reportedly back on air. 

The Associated Press reports that the two WKXW-FM hosts, Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco, returned to the air on Monday following their 10-day suspension.

The two were suspended in late July after they used the term to refer to state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal (D).

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Malloy and Franco had been discussing Grewel’s recent order to suspend marijuana prosecutions on-air when Malloy said he couldn’t remember the official’s name.

“I’m just going to say the guy with the turban,” Malloy said at the time. “Listen, and if that offends you then don’t wear the turban and maybe I’ll remember your name.”

The pair referred to the official as “turban man” for the remainder of the show.

“Is that highly offense? Could be. But if you call me ‘baseball hat man’ in a culture where nobody wears baseball hats, and they call me ‘baseball hat man,’ should I be offended?” Malloy went on to say during the program. “No.”

“No, I would say no,” Franco agreed. 

After widespread backlash over the offensive remark, the two later issued an apology to Grewal, who is the first Sikh in the state to hold the position of attorney general, saying they were “deeply sorry.

Grewal, at the time, said “it’s time to end small-minded intolerance” on Twitter and said he wanted to get “back to business.”

This is not the first indignity I’ve faced and it probably won’t be the last. Sometimes, I endure it alone. Yesterday, all of New Jersey heard it. It’s time to end small-minded intolerance. It’s an issue I addressed at @APAICS conference this May: pic.twitter.com/XnxJp53cxv

— Gurbir S. Grewal (@GurbirGrewalNJ) July 26, 2018