Sports Reporter Accosted by Screaming Fans Who Interrupt Her Game Coverage Live on Air

An Oregon-based sports newsman is speaking retired aft a video of her being interrupted by a group of unruly fans went viral.

Olivia Cleary, a newsman pinch ABC connection KEZI successful Oregon, was covering nan crippled betwixt Oregon State University and Lafayette University connected Saturday, Oct. 18, erstwhile a group of young men interfered pinch her shot.

In nan clip, which was later shared connected X by KEZI sports head Brett Austin Taylor, nan young men surrounded Cleary arsenic she delivered her mid-game study and interrupted her pinch their antics. One poked his caput into nan unrecorded changeable and later stuck his manus into nan frame, seemingly seeking a fist bump from nan reporter.

Another young man many times shouted the viral building “6-7” while Cleary attempted to present her report. Several different young men laughed, and a fewer began doing nan up-and-down manus gestures associated pinch nan “6-7” trend.

Eventually, nan screaming young man paused and pulled retired his phone, presumably to grounds nan scene, earlier he resumed yelling. Off camera, personification could beryllium heard saying “[He’s] 22 years old, by nan way!” 

At 1 constituent successful nan clip, different young man joined in, screaming “help” aggregate times while doing nan “6-7” motion and holding a beer.

Cleary remained composed passim nan ordeal, which quickly went viral. A short clip later, she said retired astir nan acquisition successful a post connected X.

“I’m alert of nan video circulating and want to convey everyone for nan support!" Cleary wrote. “At nan commencement of my unrecorded shot, fans were benignant and added a nosy constituent to my coverage. As it went on, a fewer fans stuck astir and things sewage a small retired of manus which is what you saw.” 

She continued, “For nan astir part, Beaver Nation has been very welcoming to me. Live TV is unpredictable and sometimes you person to rotation pinch it!”

Officials pinch Oregon State’s diversion programme besides responded to nan incident pinch a connection shared successful a brace of posts connected X.

“We’re alert of nan incident circulating connected societal media involving disruptive instrumentality behaviour during a unrecorded report,” they stated successful their first post. “The actions displayed do not bespeak nan values of Beaver Nation aliases our instrumentality codification of conduct.”

In a second post, nan officials said they “commend” Cleary for “her professionalism and composure successful handling nan moment.”

“We are reviewing nan business further and apologize to nan newsman for her experience,” they added.

Cleary besides received support connected X from respective journalists, including immoderate of her co-workers. Cameron Derby, different sports head for KEZI, said successful one post that nan business was “extremely frustrating to watch.” 

“Ridiculous behavior, and highly unfair to a young, master newsman trying to turn her career,” Derby wrote. “Olivia did not merit this. No 1 does. If nan crippled isn’t breathtaking enough, spell home.”

In a later post, Derby turned his attraction to Cleary. “I besides want to say, Olivia did an unthinkable occupation moving done it,” he wrote. “The position she was put successful astir apt felt for illustration hours. I applaud really dependable she stayed. She wouldn’t fto that extremity nan communicative from being told.”

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Oregon sports columnist John Canzano besides applauded Cleary for showing “tremendous poise and composure successful this unrecorded changeable astatine Oregon State,” while nan fans astir her “did not.”

Oregon State sports writer Ryan Harlan quoted nan post containing nan original video and simply said, “That's horrible - do amended Beaver Nation.”

Responding to Cleary’s post, The Oregonian sports newsman Aaron J. Fentress lauded Cleary for her “classy response,” adding that he had “been location myself" successful nan past.

Fentress besides said he would person “absolutely would person gone Chip Kelly connected [that] dude,” and included a clip of nan erstwhile University of Oregon coach shouting astatine unruly fans who interfered pinch a post-game question and reply successful 2011.

Cleary and KEZI did not instantly respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.