By Olivia Holland — A journalist has the responsibility of treating all interviews with respect and treating all those being interviewed as valid opinions. This was not the case for Kellie Baker, a 30 year old Strasburg woman with Down’s Syndrome.

According to the Canton Repository, Baker mistakenly dialed “The Mo Show” on Q92 thinking it was a number of her friend.

In calling, Baker asked Mo within the first few minutes if she could speak to her friend that she was trying to get ahold of in the first place. He responded by saying that she “obviously has some sort of a speech impediment.” Getting frustrated, Mo told her after several minutes that she accidentally dialed Q92 and the conversation ends with him saying, “Okay, so I can laugh at you and you won’t know who to call and say you‘re offended. Very good.” The conversation was then played on the air again later that day.

Q92 has issued the following statement: “Q92 and ‘The Mo Show’ would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm its support of efforts to raise awareness regarding the challenges faced by those with developmental disabilities. The station’s policy is to treat our callers and listeners with the utmost respect, professionalism and sensitivity.”

If there is anything you can get out of listening to The Mo Show, it is that the callers that are ridiculed and humiliated are purposely done so.

The idea of having to ridicule and humiliate someone on air just for the sake of a cutting-edge entertainment segment is disgusting.
Instead of advocating for the termination of Mo from Q92, the Baker family has created a Facebook and kelliesstory.wordpress.com, both for promoting awareness of bullying.

Mo has been suspended from Q92 and has issued a personal apology to the Baker family: “I am truly sorry. At the time of the call, I honestly believed it was a prank. However, that doesn’t excuse what happened or what I did. I take full responsibility. I am truly sorry.”

[Updated Aug. 7, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]