Newspaper, Columnist Apologize For Tying Adrian Peterson Case To Slavery
GREEN BAY, Wis. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A Wisconsin newspaper and a columnist are apologizing for a piece that connected Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson's child abuse case to beatings suffered by slaves.
Green Bay-Press Gazette columnist Pete Dougherty's remark came in a column calling for the Packers to consider signing Peterson.
Referencing the charge Peterson faced for disciplining his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch, Dougherty wrote that Peterson "likely is descended from slaves who suffered savage disciplinary beatings generation after generation after generation. It excuses nothing but also can't be ignored."
The Press-Gazette removed the paragraph Thursday night and apologized to readers. In a statement Friday, editor Robert Zizzo called it "a huge mistake in judgment by a reporter and failed oversight by editors."
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Dougherty wrote on Twitter on Friday afternoon: "The words in my column about Adrian Peterson were ignorant & indefensible. Words can't express how sorry I am. I apologize unreservedly."
The words in my column about Adrian Peterson were ignorant & indefensible. Words can't express how sorry I am. I apologize unreservedly.
— Pete Dougherty (@PeteDougherty) March 3, 2017
The column was also carried by USA Today and the affiliated PackersNews.com.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)