Radio reporter fired over comedy act reinstated after an arbitrator finds his jokes 'funny'
ABC News
A reporter who was fired for his standup comedy has been reinstated to his job at a Philadelphia-based public radio station through an arbitrator
A reporter who was fired for his standup comedy has been reinstated to his job at a Philadelphia-based public radio station through an arbitrator, who agreed that his jokes were, in some part, funny.
Jad Sleiman, 34, is to be fully reinstated to his position with WHYY, a Philadelphia-based NPR station, after an arbitrator determined that, while the bits posted to social media could be interpreted as “inflammatory,” the organization “rushed to judgment” in its decision to terminate him.
In a phone call Friday, Sleiman said he felt vindicated by the decision and plans to return to work.
“When a news organization says you’re a racist, bigot, whatever, people believe them,” he said. “So it was a lot of abuse from a lot of people who have never met me, who’ve never seen my stand-up just saw what WHYY said about me, which is not great.”
A message seeking comment emailed to WHYY was not immediately returned. Sleiman said he was considering further legal action for statements made by WHYY about his character.
