EXCLUSIVE: 'He was the human tape recorder': How TV murderer was criticized by bosses for appalling journalistic standards and reprimanded for wearing an Obama badge to report on elections
- Vester Flanagan's appalling track record as a reporter brought to light in court papers relating to his bid to sue WDBJ for wrongful termination
- Flanagan scored 1 out of 5 in series of categories in performance review and was told his reports were confusing and 'lean on facts'
- One document called him 'the human tape recorder' for never challenging press releases or interviewees
- Flanagan told the judge he wanted a jury made up solely of African American women, and FBI and Department of Justice investigations
- Case was dismissed after CBS affiliate in Moneta, VA, issued detailed rebuttal
- Also revealed: Flanagan threw cat feces at neighbors, had a large sex toy trove, drove like a maniac and covered his fridge with photos of himself
Warped TV reporter Vester Lee Flanagan exasperated bosses with his 'stiff and nervous' delivery, his inability to use a teleprompter - and by wearing a President Obama badge during an election report, Daily Mail Online can reveal.
Management at WDBJ dubbed the failed newsman the 'human tape recorder' because he frequently parroted what interviewees had told him rather than doing his own journalism.
Flanagan, 41, clashed repeatedly with photojournalists, belittling them in public and intimidating them with his violent temper, according to internal reports.
He was also censured for wearing an Obama sticker while recording a segment at a polling booth during the 2012 US Presidential Election - a clear breach of journalistic impartiality.
The complaints are outlined in court papers seen by Daily Mail Online that include a scathing performance review carried out prior to his termination in Feb 2013.
The station filed the documents to rebutt a wrongful termination claim which he had brought, claiming he was the victim of discrimination because he was black and gay. The station won the case.
Flanagan earned a dismal 1 out of 5 score in several categories for his poor communication skills and a failure to show respect to colleagues.
The veteran multimedia journalist was also criticized for missing deadlines and producing reports that were 'lean on facts' and left viewers confused.
Flanagan shot dead two of his ex-coworkers during a live TV segment Wednesday morning before committing suicide.
WATERMELON SCHEME
Those complaints echoed a May 2014 court filing in which Flanagan sued the station in Roanoke General District Court, seeking unpaid wages and damages for alleged discrimination.
In a sometimes-rambling account of his time at WDBJ Flanagan accused co-workers of racially harassing him by placing a watermelon around the office.
'The watermelon would appear, then disappear, then appear and disappear, then appear and disappear again only to appear again,' he wrote in a May 2014 letter to presiding Judge Francis Burkart.
'This was not an innocent incident. The watermelon was placed in a strategic location.'
Flanagan also claimed he was assaulted by a photographer, subjected to a hostile working environment and wrongfully terminated.
He demanded a jury comprised entirely of African American women and independent investigations by the FBI and Justice Department.
'I realize this is the ultimate "David vs. Goliath" scenario ... however I am neither intimidated or fearful,' he added.
Burkart dismissed the case in July 2014 after a detailed rebuttal from WDBK bosses who argued there was not a 'single allegation of fact' to support Flanagan.
Furthermore they submitted pages and pages of complaints and internal emails detailing Flanagan's poor news judgment, flawed delivery and fiery temper.
'Your on air performance ... continues to be stiff and nervous,' News director Dan Dennison told Flanagan in a December 2012 email.
'You hold onto scripts with both hands; even when you have a teleprompter in the studio and never refer to them .
'This is an unnecessary crutch. Given your level of experience doing live television, our expectation is that your on-air performance should be better.'
Dennison also slammed Flanagan, who reported under the name Bryce Williams, for acting like a 'human tape recorder' and taking press releases and interviewees on face value.
'Your job as a news reporter is to dig for the truth and the facts,' he said. 'You have a tendency to repeat instead of report on many stories which leads to thinly sourced material and a lack of substance.'
Dennison also wrote to Flanagan in November 2012 to admonish him for wearing an Obama badge while reporting on voters hitting the poll booths for the US election.
'It has come to my attention that while standing in line on Tuesday, preparing to vote, you were wearing a President Obama sticker on your clothing.'
