Sportswriter Jerry Sullivan has been fired by WIVB-TV (Channel 4), the Niagara Gazette and the Lockport Union Sun & Journal after he made sexist comments on a livestream podcast Monday night.
Sullivan was under fire on social media immediately from Twitter followers and other journalists after he said: “The worst fans really are the women. They don’t get critical journalism. They’re all wannabe cheerleaders.”
By Tuesday afternoon, the newspapers decided to “part ways” with their contributing columnist and released a statement saying, “we do not condone misogynistic, insensitive or derogatory comments in any form.”
On Tuesday morning, Channel 4 General Manager Joe Abouzeid said he declined comment “at this time” about Sullivan’s status writing columns for the station’s website.
According to a source, Sullivan was fired Tuesday afternoon, but Channel 4's owner, Nexstar, has no plans to announce it. As of Tuesday afternoon, Sullivan was no longer listed on the station's website.
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Sullivan issued a brief apology Tuesday afternoon: “I’d like to apologize for comments I made on a podcast last night that were uncalled for and insulting to women. I should be better than that.”
Sullivan was a longtime sports columnist for The Buffalo News. He left the newspaper in 2018.