AM 560 The Answer weekend host Mark Vargas has departed the station after a verbal altercation with the station’s weekday afternoon host Shaun Thompson.
During the Black and Right program last weekend, Thompson called host Verlon Galloway a “moron with the taffy apple head” and repeatedly called him an “idiot”, “moron”, and “stupid”.
“As a minority, I was shocked to hear Shaun Thompson, host of The Shaun Thompson Show, call into Black and Right Radio this past Saturday evening and spew despicable and racist rhetoric aimed at co-host Verlon Galloway – referring to him as a ‘moron with the taffy apple head,” Vargas said.
“I cannot in good conscience continue hosting my radio show, sharing a microphone and a studio with an individual that’s so full of anger – and can say such terrible things. Therefore, I resign, effective immediately.”
Thompson and Galloway have defended their interaction, saying that they are very good friends.
In a Facebook video, Thompson admitted “it wasn’t a good look for us”, adding that the argument between him and Galloway should have been reserved “for our conversations at the cigar shop”. He noted that it “didn’t belong on the radio”.
Galloway has argued that he didn’t view the conduct from Thompson as racist.
“I cannot in good conscience sit back and let the scarlet ‘R-word’ be weighted around your neck,” Galloway said. “I just want to tell the people to stop it. Two guys can buck on air without the white guy being called a racist.”
The two discussed their friendship in the video.
“I could punch you in the face, and you could punch me in the face, and if a grenade flew in, we’d jump on it,” Thompson said.
“Damn right,” Galloway agreed.
