By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – The St. Louis radio host who was fired last week for using a racial epithet on the air has joined the NAACP.
Dave Linehan immediately apologized for the remark, saying it was a slip of the tongue. Still, KTRS management fired him immediately.
Linehan said he hopes to foster better race relations in St. Louis, and his decision to join the group was not a publicity stunt.
At a news conference Wednesday, Linehan praised NAACP leaders for welcoming him.
"They came to me," Linehan said. "We talked. They gave me a hug. They understood. They recognized that if we make a big issue out of this, when the big important issues do actually come, and they will come to the city, that will diminish it."
Leaders of the NAACP said they will write letters of support to Linehan's employers.
The radio host was also suspended from a teaching job at a chiropractic school because of the incident.
Late Wednesday, KTRS released a statement saying Linehan and the station had agreed to part ways and move on.
YOUTH EDUCATION
Also on Wednesday, NAACP leaders pushed for more education of youth on how to respond to law enforcement, saying many young drivers do not always know what to do when police pull them over. The civil rights group says several recent high-speed chases show the need for better education, especially among teenagers.
The NAACP is raising money for an awareness campaign its leaders hope will eliminate distrust of the police.
"Do not run from the police!" exclaimed local NAACP chapter president Harold Crumpton. "If the police turn on their siren, and turn on their flashing lights, you must pull over and begin to cooperate immediately." The NAACP is also calling for a more restrictive vehicle chase policies in the area, and a special prosecutor to investigate recent incidents.