ABC News executive Barbara Fedida placed on leave over alleged racist comments

ABC News has placed Fedida on leave and launched an investigation.

ABC News executive Barbara Fedida has been placed on leave following accusations of racist and insensitive comments.

The allegations came to light in an article published by HuffPost over the weekend. The story, citing dozens of unnamed sources, alleged that Fedida, who is Senior Vice President of Talent and Business Affairs, made derogatory remarks about ABC News staff, including an alleged racist comment about “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts.

The network has since placed Fedida on administrative leave and launched an investigation into the allegations.

“There are deeply disturbing allegations in this story that we need to investigate, and we have placed Barbara Fedida on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough and complete investigation,” ABC News management said in a statement. “These allegations do not represent the values and culture of ABC News, where we strive to make everyone feel respected in a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace.”

Fedida called the claims “heartbreaking and incredibly misleading.”

“I am proud of my decades of work of hiring, supporting and promoting talented journalists of color,” Fedida said in a statement. “And, unlike these heartbreaking and incredibly misleading claims about me, that track record is well-documented and undeniable.”