Micheal Brown has refused to let his interview with Fox DC reporter Holly Morris air until he receives a public apology. (Image courtesy of Berthinia Rutledge-Brown)
The Black teen who snagged 20 full ride offers from colleges across the country wants journalists at a Fox DC affiliate to apologize for calling his decision to apply to multiple prestigious schools “obnoxious.”
An anchor and contributor at Fox 5 in Washington, D.C. faced severe backlash after they chided Texas teen Micheal Brown for applying to 20 different colleges. In a segment that aired April 3, co-anchor Holly Morris and contributor Sarah Fraser called applying to that many schools flat out “ridiculous.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous this kid applied to 20 [colleges], basically wait-listing another kid,” Fraser commented.
Morris quickly chimed in, saying, “He could’ve applied to five; he would have gotten in to all five and it would be equally impressive … I think it’s a little obnoxious because you can only accept one full ride. And you’re taking a spot from someone else who worked really hard.”
Two days after the segment aired, Brown tweeted that he had a “respectful interview” with Morris but said he would not allow their interview to air until he received a public apology. Brown’s mother, Berthinia Rutledge Brown, told USA TODAY that the anchor never said she was sorry and instead said she “didn’t mean to offend” the college-bound teen. She said she and her son haven’t received an apology from the station either.
As for Fraser, the contributor tweeted that she’s since apologized to Brown and his mother for her remarks.
I don’t feel that way. I have apologized to Michael and he accepted my apology. Michaels accomplishments aren’t up for debate. I have learned a valuable lesson.
— Sarah Fraser (@heyfrase) April 7, 2018
News of her in-person apology to Brown didn’t go over well with critics, however.
Michael may have accepted your apology, but I personally think you are disgusting. The fact that his achievement was an afterthought in your segment is reprehensible. Since you discredited Michael in public your apology to him should also have been in public!!
— TDW (@Nitro30341) April 12, 2018
So disgusting. Your apology should be as public as your comments. I’m so ashamed that I listened and felt bad for you after the Kane show. pic.twitter.com/iOpSTgIdER
— NaKia Michelle (@Kia_Michelle) April 13, 2018
Your apology doesn’t line up with your comments/words or the enthusiasm with which you spoke them. Reminds me of the hyena that comes to the feeding and later says, “oops, I didn’t know that was your mom.”
— MasterDebater (@MasterDebater4) April 11, 2018
Unless you apologize on air because that all you did you try and embarrass him but you try to embarrass an entire community of hard-working people. And stigmatize them and say they don’t deserve good things. You need to apologize on air! YOU ARE A BULLY!
— “Oral majority” + “Party of Fuckery Values” (@tomshadyyy) April 11, 2018
Where is the on air apology? It was gracious of Michael to accept your apology, maybe you should do a profile on him & interview him about his hard work that impressed 20 colleges enough to give him full rides.
— liz anne (@lizlavlem) April 11, 2018
Boasting an impressive 4.6 GPA, Brown beat the odds against him as a child growing up in a low-income area of Houston, Texas. Last week, footage of the Lamar High School student’s joyous reaction to an acceptance letter from dream school Stanford University went viral on social media. There was plenty of celebratory jumping, screaming and crying involved.
Brown was granted acceptance to and offered full scholarships to 19 other colleges, including for Ivy League schools. He’s narrowed down his options to Georgetown, Stanford, Harvard and Yale and plans to announce his decision at the end of the month.
