CNN anchor Brianna Keilar reported on Friday about the allegation from an African-American sixth-grade girl, who said three white boys cut her hair and used racial slurs against her at Immanuel Christian School.
The story received nationwide attention in the days that followed, but on Monday the girl's family issued a statement saying that she had made the whole incident up.
"To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused,” the girl's grandparents wrote in a statement. “To the administrators and families of Immanuel Christian School, we are sorry for the damage this incident has done to trust within the school family and the undue scorn it has brought to the school. To the broader community, who rallied in such passionate support for our daughter, we apologize for betraying your trust."
Amid the firestorm of the impeachment inquiry, Keilar's show devoted almost two minutes to the story. In the on-air segment, Keilar made note that Second Lady Karen Pence taught at the school part-time. While CNN published a story on Monday about the family's statement, Keilar herself did not provide an update to the story on Monday or Tuesday.
An on-air correction came later in the day at the top of the 3:00 hour on Monday from anchor Brooke Baldwin.
In a statement to Townhall, CNN said, "Brianna first reported the story in the 2 p.m. hour on Friday, as she was anchoring special programming. The story update then aired in the same hour - 2 p.m. yesterday."
For clarification, it appears the update came at the top of the 3:00 hour.
Others who pounced on the story and have yet to issue an update or correction include Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who sent a tweet on September 28, but has not sent another tweet about the incident.
You are beautiful, Amari Allen. You are courageous & strong. You are loved.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 28, 2019
You see, Amari, you may not feel it now, but you have a power that threatens their core. I can't wait to watch you use it and thrive.
Stay strong. https://t.co/57rtAYby3h
Editor's Note: This post has been updated with comment and clarification from CNN.
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