By Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent
WRKO Radio talk show host John DePetro was fired this morning after he made a derogatory remark Thursday about the sexual orientation and the weight of Green-Rainbow party gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross.
"The comments were completely inappropriate, derogatory and will not be tolerated," said Jason Wolfe, a vice president at Entercom Boston, which owns WRKO, in a statement. "I met with our corporate staff last night after listening to the tapes, and we decided to terminate John at that meeting."
DePetro apologized on the air after making the remark. Ross describes herself on her campaign website as "a white lesbian living in Worcester" and life-long activist for gay/lesbian civil rights and other "progressive causes."
"I believe it was an offensive comment and a lot of people have been offended by it," Ross said in an interview with the Globe after a debate this morning in Dartmouth. "I don't personally feel that offended by it. I'm running for governor, and you have to have a somewhat thicker skin than that."
In its statement, WRKO said it regretted the reference to Grace Ross.
DePetro was suspended for two days in July for using a homosexual slur on his show to describe Matthew J. Amorello, who was chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority at the time. Amorello is not gay.
Wolfe said in his statement that he told DePetro, "that any further comments of this kind would be dealt with in a severe way."
"I have no doubt that terminating John's employment was the right action to take," Wolfe said.
Jay Severin says stuff like this all the time. Especially about Hillary.
So calling someone a lesbian represents a "derogatory" remark? I'm tempted to place a call to the PC police.