WWE News: WWE star fined and forced to complete sensitivity training following inappropriate comments
What's the story?
Lars Sullivan has been fined £100,000 by WWE and forced to complete sensitivity training after comments surfaced online that The Freak made almost a decade ago.
In case you didn't know...
Lars Sullivan has had a number of run-ins with WWE superstars over the years, most interestingly with Lacey Evans during their time together in NXT, but it appears that the former NXT star has shared a number of unacceptable comments online that have since surfaced after he was called up to the main roster.
Sullivan has a number of opinions that probably shouldn't have been voiced online, which has led to many WWE fans approaching sponsors and asking for him to face some kind of punishment.
The heart of the matter
Lars Sullivan made many homophobic and bigoted comments between 2007 and 2013, many of which surfaced back in November and the company was able to brush it under the carpet. Recently Big E reacted to a fan who asked about the recent comments which have led to many of them taking on a life of their own.
When the comments drew the attention of sponsor Mars Wrigley, WWE was forced to take action and released the following statement via email.
"WWE supports a culture of inclusion regardless of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we are committed to embracing all individuals as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.
Dylan Miley (aka Lars Sullivan) will be fined $100,000 and required to complete sensitivity training for offensive commentary uncovered from his past. WWE will also facilitate meetings for Dylan with community organizations to foster further discussion around the power of social media and the impact of your words."
According to Forbes, Sullivan has been fined $100,000 and will now be forced to complete sensitivity training to avoid incidences like this in the future.
What's next?
Sullivan will continue to work for WWE but the fact that the company has issued some kind of punishment shows that this is seen as unacceptable behaviour and will be a deterrent for others in the future.
Do you think the punishment fits the crime? Have your say in the comments section below...