The Testicle Pictures That Got an Editor Fired
Philadelphia magazine fired editor Larry Platt for giving a framed photo of his testicle to a female employee. Now he's been named editor of the Philadelphia Daily News—but staff emails about his testicle are still circulating. Here's one!
A former Philadelphia staffer provided the below email, which Platt sent to his then-assistant while recovering from having a testicle removed. Platt makes a questionable joke about a black woman, then instructs the assistant to forward his testicle pictures to "the ball girls," a group of five current and former staffers.
Photos: Click here to see the photos he sent. Warning: They're graphic medical images.
From: Larry Platt <[redacted]@phillymag.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:33:56 -0500
To: <[redacted]@phillymag.com>
Subject: Fw: Spermatocelectomy successHey — in recovery. All went well. Can you send the attached to the ball
girls? More TK
Btw, had a fat black nurse named monique
Congratulated her on her oscar——- Original Message ——-
From: [redacted, Larry Platt's surgeon]
To: Larry Platt ; [redacted, another medical professional]
Sent: Fri Mar 12 13:59:18 2010
Subject: Spermatocelectomy success
Attached was a message from Platt's doctor (which we have removed) and two photos, presumably the ones that would later be framed and given as a gift to a female employee, prompting Platt's much-discussed firing. Apparently the photos depict the excised testicle before and after a surgeon sliced it open to document the cyst therein.
To Platt's credit, cancer makes people do weird things. But think of the assistant! That poor assistant. What kind of work environment requires handling pictures of your boss' disembodied testicle? (Answer: One that includes hallway tackle parties.)
Upon hiring Platt, Philadelphia Daily News publisher Gregory J. Osberg explained, "Larry and I discussed the gift incident that occurred at Philadelphia Magazine, which has previously been reported on quite extensively by the local media. I can assure you, and Larry has assured me, that actions of that kind will not occur at the Daily News." Platt did not respond to our request for comment.
The photos Platt sent are below. Warning: They're graphic medical images.
