ABC News cuts ties with female executive for ‘racially insensitive comments’

ABC News has cut ties with a longtime executive after an investigation by an outside counsel concluded she made “racially insensitive comments” and “used crass and inappropriate language.”

Walt Disney Television Chairman Peter Rice said Monday that Barbara Fedida, who was placed on administrative leave in June for the comments, will not be returning to the network. Disney is the parent company of ABC.

“The investigation substantiated that Ms. Fedida did make some of the unacceptable racially insensitive comments attributed to her,” Rice wrote in a staff memo. “It also substantiated that Ms. Fedida managed in a rough manner and, on occasion, used crass and inappropriate language.”

“Lastly, the investigation found no basis for the claims that Ms. Fedida was the subject of dozens of HR complaints and that ABC News spent millions of dollars in confidential settlements related to Ms. Fedida, as alleged in some press accounts,” Rice added.

Fedida, an award-winning producer, served as senior vice president for talent and business at ABC after coming to the network more than 20 years ago.

“Although Ms. Fedida made contributions to the organization over the 20-year span of her career, in light of the overall findings, we have determined that she can no longer serve in a leadership role and will not be returning to ABC News,” Rice said.

Fedida said in a statement through her attorney to HuffPost last month when the investigation first began that the claims against her were “misleading.”

“Throughout my career, I have been a champion for increased diversity in network news. Building a news division where everyone can thrive has been my life’s mission. I am proud of my decades of work of hiring, supporting and promoting talented journalists of color. And, unlike these heartbreaking and incredibly misleading claims about me, that track record is well-documented and undeniable,” she said.