New News Nation Hire Accused of Racist Behavior

FTVLive was the FIRST to tell you that former Fox News weekend co-anchor Leland Vittert was headed to Nexstar’s News Nation.

Vittert was hired by News Nation head Sean Compton to be co-anchor of the yet to be launched morning show for the struggling cable news network.

Before Vittert hits the air at News Nation, one woman claims that he harassed her and showed racist behavior.

The Daily Mail reported last year that activist and Pod Save the People host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, 35, revealed that when she and Leland attended John Burroughs School in St. Louis together, he would follow her in the hallways and mock her for her anti-racism stance — and one day, when she turned to ask him to stop, he spit at her.

She posted about the incident a year ago.

She wrote about the incident in the past, but had never named Vittert and referred to him as “Privileged Pete” in past postings, before finally saying that Privileged Pete was Leland Vittert.

When she first told the story in writing, she said:

'But this upperclassman — we'll call him Privileged Pete — was not feeling the love. He was of the school of thought that talking about racism was racist.

'Whether the racism is of the teenage or fully grown variety, there is one fundamental problem: racism is illogical. Its entire premise is faulty. Racism doesn't make sense. Neither do racists.

'Thus, Pete decided the best way to prove racism wasn't real was to be more racist and harass me. When he'd catch me between classes, he'd walk up close behind me and repeatedly ask if his presence was oppressive, walking me all the way to my next class.

'You read that right: he was actively harassing me while asking me if he was oppressive. Apparently Prejudiced Pete needed to add rich irony to his already strong diet of petty.

'I mostly thought he was silly. He was a popular person — everyone disliked Pete. He was nice to almost no one. I was already proficient in the art of ignoring him.

'But one day, I had had enough. I turned around and said "L — (Whoops! I mean...) 'Pete', you can't keep doing this." Then, in one swift, instantaneous, racist reflex, he sucked in deep, gathered all his might, and hurled a giant wad of spit right in my face. It landed at my feet.' 

Vittert denied the accusations made by Cunningham.

Some at News Nation have told FTVLive that they are disturbed by this story. “Hired by Sean Compton AND BILL SHINE .... now he’s working at News Nation,” said one staffer to FTVLive.

Vittert is expected to be teamed up with former ABC News Correspondent Adrienne Bankert on the morning show.