Houston Chronicle

CEO put on notice after slurs against comedian

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NEW YORK — One of the nation’s biggest homebuilde­rs is putting its top executive on notice after a vulgar rant against comedian Kathy Griffin was caught on tape and went viral.

KB Home CEO Jeffrey Mezger, who is a neighbor of Griffin’s in California, was recorded by a security camera hurling slurs against Griffin while in a heated argument with her boyfriend. Mezger was angered after Griffin or her boyfriend complained to police over a family gettogethe­r at Mezger’s house.

KB Home said in a regulatory filing Thursday that while Mezger has been “a great leader,” his behavior was unacceptab­le and that he would be fired for any similar incidents in the future. It also cut his annual bonus by 25 percent.

There were apparently a number of complaints since the couple moved in to the house beside Mezger’s. Griffin and her boyfriend, in the incident that preceded the taped confrontat­ion, appear to have called police over noise made by children playing in a backyard pool.

There has been some backlash against the executive since the vulgar twominute outburst was first aired by HuffPost.

TV host and financial adviser Suze Orman wrote on Twitter this week, “Disgracefu­l talk from the CEO of KB HOMES. You really want to buy a home from this man? Beyond Disgusting!”

How much the incident will cost Mezger, who has been CEO since 2006, isn’t clear. He was paid $9 million last year in salary and stock awards, but he hasn’t received a bonus since 2014. In that year, Mezger received a bonus of $125,000.

 ??  ?? Kathy Griffin and KB Home CEO Jeffrey Mezger argued.
Kathy Griffin and KB Home CEO Jeffrey Mezger argued.

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