Bart will return

Variety’s editor in chief, Peter Bart, will be allowed to return to his job on Sept. 10 after a 21-day suspension without pay and will be required to attend “diversity training” after he returns. At the same time, Bart issued an apology saying that the quotes attributed to him in a recent cover story in Los Angeles Magazine in which he reportedly made disparaging remarks about blacks and gays, did not reflect his personal beliefs and values. “I am deeply sorry and regret that they offended anyone,” he said in a statement. “It will not happen again.” Tod Smith, president of the media division at Cahners Business Information, Variety‘s parent, said, that Bart “knows that he made a mistake.” He added, “The company takes its values very seriously and expects all of its employees, no matter how prominent or distinguished, to set an excellent example.” (The New York Post used a Variety-like headline for its story about Bart’s return: “BIGS BACK BART.”)