LOUISVILLE, Ky (WHAS11) -- A local news anchor says she didn't say it. But a viewer believes he heard her say a racial slur. Now, some people are asking, did she use the 'N' word live on-air?
WHAS11 News spoke to management at WDRB-TV and the teenager who made the accusation.
A clip shows WDRB-TV co-anchors Sterling Riggs and Lindsay Allen talking about a story Monday morning on Tiger Woods after a fan threw a hot dog.
But it's not the golf star who is surrounded by questions after the segment. A viewer, Anthony Fresh, 19, claims he heard Allen say the 'N' word.
It was a tough call for people hearing the clip for the first time as WHAS11 asked, what did you hear?
'I really didn't understand the message at all so,' one person said.
Another man said, 'I thought they shouldn't have put that on the air really. It's poor taste.'
But Fresh says it's clear.
'I kept on replaying it and replaying it and the word didn't change. I didn't hear 'at least' and 'least' doesn't sound like the 'N' word. 'This' doesn't sound like the 'N' word,' Fresh said.
Fresh said he and his cousins met with WDRB's News Director Barry Fulmer and demanded an apology.
Fulmer stands by Allen. 'She said: 'at least he can blame the hot dog on his poor performance.' That's exactly what she said. What I really feel bad for is Lindsay, who's been, you know, kind of falsely accused of saying something that she clearly has no evil streak or mean bone in her body,' Fulmer said. 'She's one of our best employees in our newsroom.'
That said, Tuesday morning, Allen apologized on-air. She said, 'Yesterday a viewer contacted us over a comment I made during this newscast. I want to assure everyone that the comments I made were misunderstood. I apologize if any of our viewers were offended.'
But Fresh tells us that's not enough. He says he has talked to the local NAACP.
'Even when she did her apology on TV she said I'm sorry for my comment if it offended anybody. She never said I never made the comment, the 'N' word,' Fresh said.
The Louisville branch of the NAACP said they will forward the news clip in question to their Los Angeles bureau that deals with the media. They are seeking advice in this ongoing investigation.
