The Internal Memo from Tegna's CEO

Yesterday, FTVLive told you about how a proposed Tegna board member was withdrawing his nomination pointing to a past incident that he says demonstrated cultural insensitivity by the company’s chief executive Dave Lougee.

Adonis Hoffman, a media attorney, consultant and former official at the Federal Communications Commission, indicated on March 3 that he will no longer be a candidate for the board, according to a statement from him that was sent to the Tegna board.

Hoffman, who is Black, also said in a statement that he was disturbed by an interaction with Lougee that happened in 2014.

He says that he and Lougee were seated at the same table at an industry event and spoke over lunch; afterward, Lougee mistook Hoffman for a valet, deeply offending Hoffman.

Lougee tried to get in front of the story by sending out this internal memo to the staff. It was obtained by FTVLive:

I wonder, how many times has Dave Lougee mistaken a white guy as a valet in the past?

This is a prime example why we need more people of color in top jobs at media companies.

Full stop.