Longtime Charlotte sports anchor Chuck Howard is out at Fox 46.
Fox spokesperson Victoria Gurrieri confirmed to the Observer Saturday that Howard had been fired.
Contacted Saturday night, Howard, 53, said his last day on the air was Thursday. He said he was interviewed by the station's human resources department May 14 after an incident involving a female co-worker.
Howard said he grabbed the co-worker by the lapel of her jacket.
"I said something to the effect of, 'Let's go have a great show tonight,'" Howard said. "It was not a violent act whatsoever."
Howard compared it to shaking someone's hand or patting them on the back.
Howard said he continued working for two weeks, while he said an investigation was ongoing. He said he was told Thursday that he was no longer an employee at the station.
"I'm simply flabbergasted and I must say heartbroken at the same time," he said. "I'm speaking to you and the Observer because I'm not hiding behind anything tawdry that resulted in my dismissal."
Howard started with Fox in September of 2016 after 10 years off the local airwaves. In 2006, he was fired from WCNC, the local NBC affiliate, after he used a mild expletive when a promo he was filming didn't turn out the way he wanted. The outtake made it on air the next day.
His firing generated protests inside and outside of WCNC.
