Black Journalists Group Seeks Meeting With Disney, ESPN Over Rachel Taylor-Maria Taylor Brouhaha

An organization representing Black journalists is requesting a meeting with Walt Disney Co DIS and its ESPN cable network following a leaked recording of ESPN anchor Rachel Nichols disparaging Maria Taylor, a Black colleague, by suggesting Taylor's on-camera presence was based solely on her race.

What Happened: On July 4, the New York Times reported on a telephone call that Nichols made from a hotel room in July 2020 with Adam Mendelsohn, a communications advisor to LeBron James. Unknown to Nichols, the call was captured by a video camera in her room.

During the call, Nichols questioned why Taylor was given the assignment of ESPN's pregame and postgame coverage of the 2020 NBA Finals, a duty that was previously assigned to Nichols.

"If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity – which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it – like, go for it," Nichols said. "Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away."

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What Happened Next: Kayla Johnson, a Black producer at ESPN, was identified as leaking the video. According to a USA Today report, Johnson received a two-week suspension for the leak and has since left the company.

Dorothy Tucker, president of the National Association of Black Journalists is requesting a meeting with Disney executive chairman Bob Iger, Disney CEO Bob Chapek and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro to discuss the situation.

"The company's actions could have alienated Taylor and left another Black employee punished for exposing the matter," said Tucker in a press statement.

Nichols, who was removed from the network's NBA Finals sidelines coverage, offered an on-air apology on Monday's episode of the ESPN show "The Jump," stressing how "deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be a part of this team."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also weighed in during a news conference, stating that "people recognize that people make mistakes, that careers shouldn't be erased by a single comment, that we should be judging people by the larger context of their body of work and who they are."

Taylor responded to the situation on her Twitter:

During the dark times I always remember that I am in this position to open doors and light the path that others walk down. I’ve taken some punches but that just means I’m still in the fight. Remember to lift as you climb and always KEEP RISING � pic.twitter.com/ztSIx9CLpO

— Maria Taylor (@MariaTaylor) July 7, 2021

Photo: Maria Taylor, photographed by Cmilien86 / Wikimedia Commons.