There’s a major problem with this article, though I don’t blame it for not having information it might not have access to: We only have the memo about him using the word; we don’t have a transcript of the meeting to provide context.

It’s impossible for us, on the outside looking in, to make a judgement call when we lack the full story. Maybe he said it in an appropriate context and this is overreaction. Maybe he used it inappropriately during said meeting. What little we have of it seems to imply (to me, at least) that Mr. Friedland used it in reference to his black employees, or directed at them, but like I said just a moment ago, it’s hard to say. We have too little context.

EDIT: Beat me to it, Mr. Cobb.