Following Sunderland’s match against Burnley on March 18, David Moyes gave an interview to BBC reporter Vicki Sparks. After that interview was over, Moyes joked that Sparks “might get a slap” for asking him if he felt like he was under more pressure because Sunderland owner Ellis Short was in the stands. Now he’s under investigation by the FA.
David Moyes told a female reporter she ‘might get a slap’
Now the FA is looking into the incident.
Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images
Here’s a video of Moyes making the remark.
Even though the incident happened on March 18, video didn’t emerge until two weeks later.
“That’s certainly not the person I am,” Moyes said at a press conference on Monday. “I’ve accepted the mistake. I spoke to the BBC reporter, who accepted my apology.” While Sparks hasn’t spoken about the incident publicly, her employers confirmed that Moyes had apologized and said that “the issue had been resolved.” Sparks chose not to report the incident to the FA or the Premier League.
But Moyes apologizing and Sparks reportedly accepting his apology doesn’t absolve him of any wrongdoing. It shouldn’t stop the FA from looking into the incident further, and it hasn’t. Moyes’ punishment or lack thereof seems likely to hinge heavily on what Sparks tells the FA about what she thought about his comment.
No matter how the FA’s investigation turns out, all managers should take a lesson about what’s appropriate to say at work and what isn’t. It doesn’t matter if Moyes was just joking or if Sparks knew it was just a joke. Don’t joke about hitting people at work. Definitely don’t joke about hitting women. It’s not just banter. It’s not funny.
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