Crime & Justice
Suspected Shooter Vester Flanagan Previously Filed Lawsuit Claiming Newsroom Producer Called Him a “Monkey”
Vester Flanagan II, the man suspected of killing two Virginia journalists claimed the news producer called him a “monkey”.

More details begin to come out as authorities try to piece together Vester Flanagan’s motive behind the shooting of a WDBJ reporter and camera man during a live broadcast.
Vester Flanagan II, the man suspected of killing two Virginia journalists and wounding during a live television broadcast on Wednesday once filed a lawsuit against a former employer, claiming a producer at the station called him a “monkey”, reports the Huffington Post.
The racism allegations echo tweets the gunman posted shortly after this week’s brutal shooting. Flanagan, who went by Bryce Williams while employed by WDBJ in Roanoke, VA shot and killed WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward before shooting himself. Earlier that day, Flanagan took to his Twitter to post grievances about his former coworkers:
According to The Huffington Post, Flanagan filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in 2000 against another employer, WTWC-TV.
According to court documents, Flanagan, who is black, had been employed at WTWC as a newscaster and anchor. He alleged racism in his workplace and retaliation for reporting it. The parties reached a settlement, the terms of which were not disclosed.
In the lawsuit, Flanagan claimed that a producer called him a “monkey” and that he was “made aware that other black employees … had been called monkeys by officials affiliated with defendant.”
He said a white “official” told him that “it busted her butt that blacks did not take advantage of the free money,” referring to scholarship funds available to African-Americans. He also claimed that a supervisor said that “blacks are lazy.”
Flanagan also claimed that another employee told a black tape operator to “stop talking ebonics.” WTWC-TV acknowledged that an employee “may have made similar comments to another employee,” but denied that such comments are “indicative of unlawful employment practices.”
Flanagan also sued WDBJ, claiming they owed him money after his termination from the company. The case was dismissed. It is not clear if the suit served as motivation behind the shooting of the two WDBJ journalists.
The 41-year-old died of a self-inflicted wound Wednesday afternoon. An investigation into the shooting continues.
Discover more from Unheard Voices Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Social Justice5 days ago
Tamir Rice’s mother calls for $23 donations to support youth center in her son’s honor
-
Culture3 days ago
Exclusive : South Carolina sneak preview of ‘40 ACRES’ at Saloma Acres in Blythewood
-
News2 weeks ago
George Floyd’s 11-year-old daughter says she’s being bullied in school
-
Crime & Justice2 days ago
One dead after shooting during concert on Long Branch, New Jersey beach
-
Social Justice2 weeks ago
Community rallies to preserve Knoxville African American cemetery and memorialize Black Veterans buried in unmarked graves
-
Crime & Justice6 days ago
Florida woman arrested for reportedly pepper-spraying Black kids
-
Culture6 days ago
Clara Adams Fights Back After Disqualification, Heads to Nationals with Community Support
-
In Memoriam6 days ago
Remembering Sly Stone: The Architect of Racial Integration & Harmony in Music