LOS ANGELES—ESPN on Monday suspended anchor Jemele Hill for two weeks after the host of its “SportsCenter” program called for a sponsor boycott following remarks by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Hill was sanctioned after urging the public to put pressure on Jones and the Cowboys by shunning the NFL owner’s sponsors.
The call came after Jones had warned that any player kneeling during the US National Anthem risked being left on the bench.
“Change happens when advertisers are impacted. If you feel strongly about JJ’s statement, boycott his advertisers,” Hill wrote.
The 41-year-old African-American anchor had escaped with a warning last month after describing US President Donald Trump as a “white supremacist”.
However, her latest comments drew a suspension from the network, which issued a statement saying Hill was in breach of social media guidelines.
“Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for a second violation of our social media guidelines,” the network said, referencing the earlier controversy.
“She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues and company down with an impulsive tweet. In the aftermath all employees were reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences.”
