Vic Faust, the Fox 2 news anchor who last week directed a profane tirade at a female co-host on a local radio show, has been fired by the television station.
“Vic Faust no longer works for Fox 2, KPLR (Channel 11) or Nexstar Media,†station general manager Kurt Krueger said Wednesday morning. Nexstar Media Group is Fox 2’s parent company.
Krueger declined to comment further, citing personnel restrictions.
Faust used profanity at least 40 times in berating Crystal Cooper, who was part of Faust’s morning-drive show Sept. 13 on , also known as “The Viper.â€
In a social media post on Twitter about 12:45 p.m., Faust issued an apology.
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“I am very sorry. My words hurt Crystal, my colleagues and family. I made a huge mistake and I’m ashamed,†Faust’s post said.
“As I work to earn trust again, I hope we can have an open dialogue about respect in the workplace and forgiveness. My mistake is not my kids’. Please respect their privacy,†the post said.
Faust deleted his Twitter account sometime later Wednesday or before 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
On Sept. 13, Faust lambasted Cooper for her weight and parenting skills, and repeatedly addressed her by a curse word most commonly directed at women.
He also called her “fat,†“stupid†and “nasty,†and at one point said, “Your kids have a (expletive) terrible mom. I feel sorry for them.â€
Faust had been a main news anchor for more than seven years at KTVI (Channel 2), the local Fox affiliate. Most recently, he had been co-hosting the 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. weekday shifts with Mandy Murphey.
After the outburst was reported Monday by the Post-Dispatch, Faust did not return to the air, and the radio show appears to have been put on hold.
The outburst, which occurred off-air, was digitally recorded and sent anonymously to the Post-Dispatch tip line.
The spark for Faust’s harangue seems to have occurred in the closing minutes of last week’s radio show. Faust and Cooper engaged in an uncomfortable exchange after Faust became irked by Cooper’s criticism of his computer skills.
At one point, Faust tells Cooper to not come back to the show.
“If you come back, I’m going to be in your (expletive) every (expletive) day,†Faust said, who added that he would “call you a (expletive) every day.â€
The radio station is licensed out of Troy, Missouri, and its studios are in Lake Saint Louis. General manager Chris Blevins could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
After graduating from the University of Missouri, where he played football, Faust worked in sports and news in Columbia and St. Joseph, Missouri; Tulsa; and Detroit. He left Detroit after 11 years to work at Fox 2.
I am very sorry. My words hurt Crystal, my colleagues and family. I made a huge mistake and I’m ashamed. As I work to earn trust again, I hope we can have an open dialogue about respect in the workplace and forgiveness. My mistake is not my kids'. Please respect their privacy.
— Victor Faust (@victorjfaust)