Edwards to Return from Suspension

21Alive news anchor Keith Edwards is scheduled to return from a two-week suspension on Thursday. According to several sources inside the newsroom, that suspension was for comments he made to Linda Jackson and Janette Luu.

There is disagreement among those sources, however, on whether Edwards' comments were worthy of garnering him a suspension.

What's not in dispute is that in both cases, Edwards joined newsroom conversations already in progress that were characterized as the kind of discussion that often occurs in the newsroom. "Keith jumped into the conversation," said one source. "He did not initiate it."

In one instance, employees were discussing a pair of black boots Luu was wearing. Edwards added a comment about the boots. "It was of a sexual nature," said a source.

On another occasion, Edwards joined a discussion with Linda Jackson and others, making a joke directed at her that was also of a sexual nature. Jackson did not file a complaint about the remarks. It appears, however, that someone else did.

That led to an internal investigation. Employees who heard Edwards' remarks were called in individually to recount what happened. Edwards was also asked to tell his side of the story, according to a source.

After concluding the investigation, WPTA management informed Edwards that he had been suspended. "He was stunned," said one employee. "Absolutely stunned."

While acknowledging that Edwards doesn't always put things delicately, "I think there are people [here] out to get him," said the source.

"Let me just say this," said another employee, "if he were to lose his job, a lot of people wouldn't be upset."

All sources asked not to be identified, implying that revealing that information could put their jobs at risk.

Repeated calls to Jerry Giesler, Granite Broadcasting's executive vice president of Fort Wayne operations, were not returned.

"I answer to God and my family," said Edwards, when reached for comment.  "No one else."