Former KDFW reporter sues station, alleges racial bias
January 15th, 2009 . by TexasFredFormer KDFW reporter sues station, alleges racial bias
Rebecca Aguilar, a former KDFW/Channel 4 reporter, has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Fox-owned station, asserting that her “documented history of complaining about the treatment of Hispanics and Latinos by her employer” led management to suspend and ultimately fire her.
Aguilar, who worked for 14 years at the station, was put on paid suspension in October 2007 after her controversial interview with an elderly west Dallas salvage-business owner who had shot and killed two people, who he believed were burglars, within three weeks. The story drew national attention and sparked debate about whether Aguilar had “ambushed” the man or was just doing her job in getting an exclusive story.
The lawsuit, filed late Monday in Dallas County district court, contends that KDFW took Aguilar off the air immediately after “pretextual and fabricated criticism about a particular story.” She was terminated in March.
KDFW news director Maria Barrs, who is named in the suit, declined to comment directly Wednesday. But a KDFW spokesman issued a statement that “Fox 4 looks forward to defending our decision in the appropriate forum.”
Full Story Here:
Former KDFW reporter sues station, alleges racial bias
Some of you may remember Rebecca Aguilar, I wrote about her *ambush* reporting a while back, KDFW-FOX4 Suspends Reporter Rebecca Aguilar After Controversial “Ambush” Reporting with a followup on this thread, KDFW-FOX4 forces YouTube to pull Video Evidence of ‘Ambush Journalism’.
Aguilar is a Hispanic reporter that played heavily on being a Hispanic, and if the FOX affiliate let her get by with her brand of *journalism*, that’s fine. Now she wants to sue on grounds of racial discrimination? Her *race* is the reason she got as far as she did. KDFW does, in MY opinion, play very hard to the *minority market*. I don’t watch our local FOX affiliate too often, for that very reason, they don’t put nearly as much time into NEWS as they do trying to use their format that encourages *sensationalism*. Aguilar was quite good at that style of reporting.
Rebecca Aguilar is not the only guilty party in this matter. KDFW, FOX4 here in Dallas, attempted to bury the story almost as soon as complaints began. They threatened YouTube with copyright violations if the video of this *ambush* reporting was not pulled, and YouTube gave in to their pressure. LiveLeak later hosted the video of Aguilar and her far less than professional attack on one Mr. James Walton, an elderly gentleman that was guilty of defending his business and property by fatally shooting 2 burglars in his place of business in the wee hours of the morning. Each was shot and killed in separate incidents, 3 weeks apart. The LiveLeak video has since been removed as well.
So, now Ms. Aguilar seeks damages! She was harassed for 14 years by KDFW? And she sat back and took it? Right up until NOW? Aguilar has not, to MY knowledge, been able to get an *on air* position in the Dallas news market since this incident. Could that possibly be her motivation for this law suit?
I’m not saying KDFW is innocent in this, not by any means. They allowed the piece to air. Aguilar is not innocent either. She assaulted Mr. Walton. She verbally assaulted this man and humiliated him on camera, she had this man in tears. Her verbal assault was that intense and abusive! She then aired her *hack* piece for all to see, and some decent folks took exception to this *ambush* and there was a huge outcry for Rebecca Aguilar to be removed!
Journalist integrity. Perhaps KDFW - FOX4 in Dallas and reporters like Rebecca Aguilar need to look up the definition of those words. And you know, it wouldn’t hurt the FOX News network to take a look too. Sensationalism and *ambush reporting* is NOT news, it’s sensationalism and *ambush reporting*. You would think that a certain degree of professionalism would run through the media and would ensure against that. Guess not.
Racial discrimination my ASS! Rebecca Aguilar was canned because she is an unprofessional *HACK* that used her *SEX* and *RACE* like weapons, and now she cries ‘racism’. Isn’t it amazing how cries of *RACISM*, or in some cases, *SEXISM*, so conveniently come into play when the real issue is integrity? Or lack thereof?
Fred,
I found the last remaining copy of the video you referenced, the KDFW video is shown second. I think that Rebecca should have been sumarrily thrown on her ass like the punk in the first story on this video. Some People have no idea what respect is all about.
Thanks
Probably would help if I included the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfDLrs3U8Qk
AWESOME!! I knew if it was out there that someone would know!! Thank you Sir!
I can be tenacious when it involves firearms and/or our veterans rights.
It is MY opinion that Rebecca Aguilar is a BITCH of the 1st order, but she was NOT alone in this, several others were to blame, I already knew that, but the video from Ed Driscoll Jr really brought the finality to my words and provided the closure I was seeking…
Damn, I love vindication!!
All of those points you brought up are quite valid, particularly in light of the 14 years she evidently “took it on the chin” for her station, because she was such a trouper. Trust me, the station’s attorneys will point out this small fact. She’s pissed because she backdoored someone and actually had to pay a price for hack journalism. Sorry, Aguilar. Go weep at a Mexican station — oh wait, they don’t PAY as much, do they?
BZ
Just wait until ‘Dear Leaders’ gang gets into full swing. All the poor benighted brown and black people will be millionaires. But the catch will be that the US dollar won’t be worth the paper its printed on by then.
I’m hoping that the station’s lawyers have a copy of the e-mail I sent to the management of that TV station.
There is nothing in my e-mail that disses the reporter for her gender or ethnicity. It’s about WHAT SHE DID.
I’d love to have a “Judge Judy” style judge who pinned this lying scum down in the court and rake them from side to side for wasting the court’s time.
This reporter DID SOMETHING WRONG. Probably not the first time but most certainly it is what happened. She was fired FOR CAUSE.
The station felt the heat by the response of viewers and interested outsiders like myself.
Aguilar felt the wrath of honest, hard-working citizens who are SICK of seeing criminals being treated to Catch and Release law enforcement.
SHE wanted to make this about racism. It wasn’t. The man she was accusing of racism was in the right and the scum who tried to victimize him got what they deserved. Then, for trying to paint a good man as evil SHE got what she deserved.
She’s surely qualified for work in the “do you want fries with that” career field. Let her go do that.
In the interest of *fair*, Aguilar didn’t accuse James Walton of racism, she accused him, questioned him actually, on whether he was *trigger happy* and in regards to his *intent* to kill those 2 bozo’s that broke into his business and home…
The accusations of racism have been leveled against her former employer, KDFW FOX - 4 here in Dallas…
Aguilar will probably get hired by a NBC station as she is apparently against citizens protecting their lives with firearms. You know NBC will be pushing Obama’s gun control measures to the limit.