According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Valerie Hoff shared in a private message, “I was quoting something the gentleman said in a public tweet back to him in a private message but that doesn’t make it any less offensive … It was incredibly stupid and reckless. I was in the middle of a pressure-filled day trying to chase down the video of a man being beaten and kicked by two Gwinnett police officers, which this particular gentleman had posted on Twitter. I repeatedly apologized and continue to do so. I also offered to resign immediately.
“I look forward to being a stay-at-home mom,” Hoff added, “and working on my food and travel Blog, ValerieHoff.com this summer.”
The private Twitter conversation was held between Hoff and a Black man identified as Curtis Rivers. She used the N-word that ends in the letter “a.” Rivers, whose Twitter handle is @curtfromdablock, posted the video of the now-fired Gwinnett County, Georgia cop who punched an unarmed Black motorist during a traffic stop.
During the conversation, Hoff apologized for offending Rivers with the racial slur, but the conversation ended with him asking her, “How would I be able to contact your manager or lawyer?”
John Deushane, who was Hoff’s manager, wrote, “11Alive does not tolerate any form of racial insensitivity and aggressively enforces our standard policies. We acted promptly to address this situation. Valerie Hoff has chosen to resign and apologizes for her actions.11Alive is committed to treating the communities we serve with dignity and respect.”
