ESPN reporter Britt McHenry shouldn't be punished for tirade, towing company says

Britt McHenry, the ESPN reporter who was suspended for a week after she was caught on video berating a towing company employee, has just gained an unlikely ally: The towing company itself.

The Arlington, Virginia-based Advanced Towing Company, where McHenry unleashed a tirade on April 6 after her car was towed, has issued a statement calling for forgiveness of McHenry.

"Parking enforcement is contentious by nature," the statement said. "At the same time, neither Gina, our lot clerk, nor our company, have any interest in seeing Britt McHenry suspended or terminated as a result of her comments."

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The company added, "Ms. McHenry is our neighbor, and, as she said, to paraphrase, made remarks that were out of line. She is human and errors in judgment can be made in the heat of the moment."

In the video, which surfaced this week, McHenry insulted the employee on a number of personal fronts, mocking her appearance, education and weight.

"Lose some weight, baby girl," McHenry said in the video.

The company went on to add that the employee "holds no ill will" toward the sportscaster.

"Gina is a single mother of three children who works a difficult job to provide her family," the company said. "Gina holds no ill will toward Ms. McHenry."

Advanced Towing noted that it "saw no benefit to releasing the video, except to highlight personal attacks employees in jobs like towing, public parking enforcement and others sometimes encounter." The company noted that it had not licensed or sold the footage to anyone.

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McHenry apologized for the incident on Twitter, writing, "In an intense and stressful moment, I allowed my emotions to get the best of me and said some insulting and regrettable things. As frustrated as I was, I should always choose to be respectful and take the high road. I am so sorry for my actions and will learn from this mistake."