Malloy, Franco Suspended For Calling AG ''Turban Man''

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, July 27, 2018

Judi Franco and Dennis Malloy

Townsquare Media's WKXW-FM (New Jersey 101.5)/Trenton, NJ, midday hosts Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco (Dennis & Judi) have been suspended after repeatedly referring to the state's Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who is Sikh, as "turban man." "You know the attorney general -- I'm never going to know his name. I'm just going to say 'the guy with the turban,'" Malloy said to Franco on Wednesday. He added, "Listen, if that offends you, then don't wear the turban, man, and I'll remember your name."

The "Dennis & Judi Show" hosts briefly debated whether the term was offensive, concluding that it was not because if Malloy "was in a culture where nobody wore baseball hats, and you called me ‘Baseball Hat Man,'" he would not be offended.

Sikh, who is American-born of Indian parents, said on Twitter, "My name, for the record, is Gurbir Grewal. I'm the 61st Attorney General of NJ. I'm a Sikh American. I have 3 daughters. And yesterday, I told them to turn off the radio."

NJ 101.5 FM wrote in a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday, "We are aware of the offensive comments made by Dennis and Judi during Wednesday's broadcast. We have taken immediate action and have taken them off the air until further notice. We are investigating the matter and will have further comment shortly."

Also on Thursday, the midday duo posted an apology on the station's website.