CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE CALLS OUT NFL, CBS FOR FAILURE TO BROADCAST AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE PERFORMANCES DURING SUPER BOWL LVIII
Expresses “extreme disappointment” that the pre-game sign language performances—including of the national anthem by local RIT/NTID graduate—were not shown on television, alienating deaf and hard-of-hearing community
(Rochester, N.Y.) — Today, Congressman Joe Morelle called out the National Football League (NFL) and CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) for failing to televise any of the three American Sign Language (ASL) performances during last night’s Super Bowl pre-game show, including one by local graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Institute for the Deaf, Daniel Durant.
“Briefly introducing sign language interpreters and then not showing them for the duration of the performance shows that the NFL and CBS are more interested in appearing to do the right thing than actually doing the right thing,” wrote Congressman Morelle in his letter. “If Sunday’s Super Bowl was a showcase of the NFL’s commitment to diversity, then you have a lot of work to do.”
Morelle expressed his “extreme disappointment” at the decision in a letter to the NFL and CBS. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals rely on being able to see ASL signings on television, and because of the NFL and CBS’s decision to not broadcast these performances, they were left out of last night's celebration.
Read the full text of Congressman Morelle’s letter here.