By Sam Wood, Jun. 8, 2015, Philly.com

Victim of workplace double standard or his own poor judgment?

A jury is faced with that question as a race-discrimination lawsuit filed by former Fox29 anchorman Tom Burlington began today at U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

Burlington, who is white, contends the station fired him after he uttered the "n-word," while African American employees were not disciplined for using the same word.

In his lawsuit, Burlington said he had been unable to find work as a TV newscaster because of his termination and the subsequent publicity. He is seeking unspecified damages. A court filing contends that he lost nearly $3 million in past and future earnings.

Burlington took the stand this afternoon before the all-white jury.

Fox29 attorneys at Dechert LLP did not return calls for comment on Friday. In court papers filed last month, they asserted there was no evidence that race played a role in the decision to end Burlington's contract. They attributed his firing to "his admitted misconduct, his poor judgment, the upset it caused in the newsroom, and the resulting negative publicity."