One of the unsavory aspects of our current era is that firing a member of a "protected class" — racial and sexual minorities, plus women of any race — almost inevitably leads to cries of racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.  When a person is a "twofer" ticking two boxes indicating presumptively oppressed status, you need a bulletproof list of offenses to charge the target with.

Don Lemon, the low-rated Black and gay host on CNN, was booted from his prime-time gig to the morning hours and has managed to drive the ratings for CNN This Morning even lower than the cable net previously had scored in those hours.  CNN's new boss, Chris Licht, desperate to stanch the blood as the news channel's ratings tank, must be thinking about removing Lemon.

That's why the "leak" from two different sources at CNN below looks like the start of a campaign to justify Lemon's firing.  Alexandra Steigrad of the New York Post writes:

Tensions on the set of "CNN This Morning" have recently boiled over, with Don Lemon allegedly "screaming" at co-host Kaitlan Collins off-camera during an ugly December incident that has left the cast and crew rattled ever since, The Post has learned.

According to two sources with knowledge of the situation, 56-year-old Lemon approached 30-year-old Collins following the show's Thursday, Dec. 8, broadcast — and unloaded on her in front of staffers as he accused her of "interrupting" him on air.

"Don screamed at Kaitlan, who was visibly upset and ran out of the studio," one source with knowledge of the skirmish said.

News of the explosive incident made its way up to CNN CEO Chris Licht, who is said to have been appalled by Lemon's behavior, according to a source. A second source said a producer talked to Lemon at the behest of Licht and told the anchor to take the next day off to "cool off."

Kaitlan Collins with Don Lemon (Don Lemon/Facebook via the NYP).

Keep your eyes open for another "leak" about bad behavior by Lemon.  If one appears, Lemon is on the way out, almost certainly.