Surrounded by a diverse group of supporters, veteran St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Sylvester Brown Jr. announced this evening (Mon. Apr. 13) that he had been terminated by the paper’s upper management for alleged “ethics violations” and that he was refusing the newspaper guilds offer to negotiate his return to the newsroom.
“In short, management alleges that I took a plane trip to Washington DC on March 26 as a gift in return for a column I wrote on and turned in the day before about a renewable energy project in East St. Louis,” Brown said. “I’m here to tell you that these charges are a gross distortion of the facts.”
At the end of March, Brown – who had been a columnist for the paper for more than six years – was forced to leave the building without being allowed to collect his belongings or say goodbye to his colleagues.
“I’ve called this press conference to bid farewell to my friends at the Post Dispatch and the loyal readers who have made this enjoyable but at times difficult journey with me over the years,” Brown said. “Secondly, I’m here today to stand up for my name and reputation, which in the end, is all we really have.”
Brown drew loud cheers of approval when he suggested “perhaps” post management had “more desperate and more nefarious” motives in moving to fire him. Brown alleged that mayor Francis G. Slay had threatened editors at the post after they ran a column by Brown claiming the Slay administration uses “thuglike tactics.”
“His dismissal was about one thing only: a violation of our ethics policy,” Post-Dispatch editor Arnie Robbins told the American. “The mayor had nothing to do with this. Nothing.”
Brown said he remains locked out of the newsroom and denied access to his email at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
In a stirring moment, Brown quoted language by Joseph Pulitzer about the responsibility of newspapers that is publicly displayed in the offices of the Post Dispatch.
“I live Mr. Pulitzer’s name and words, ‘Always fight for progress and reform … never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare … never be afraid to attack wrong ….,’ Brown said. “Sadly Post Dispatch management can’t make the same claim.”
After concluding his emotionally charged remarks, Brown hugged his daughters sitting beside him – one of whom wept throughout his speech. Turning to his diverse group of some 35 supporters, the first person he embraced was former fire chief Sherman George.
Brown had been a lone supportive voice at the Post-Dispatch for the embattled fire chief – who has sued Slay and the city of St. Louis for racial discrimination and illegal job action.
A supporter of Brown distributed slips of paper inviting the public to follow brown’s work at www.sylvesterbrownjr.blogspot.com, where Brown’s speech from this afternoon’s news conference can be read in its entirety.
