ESPN reporter Britt McHenry returns to work after viral video

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McHenry, 28, berated single mother Gina Michelle for towing her car
She insulted her looks and social status in footage that went viral
ESPN suspended the sports reporter for a week amid investigation
But despite thousands of calls for her to be fired, she returned this week
Covered NHL game between New York Islanders and Washington Capitals

By Wills Robinson and Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published: 15:56 EST, 25 April 2015 | Updated: 15:06 EST, 27 April 2015

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Britt McHenry has marked her return to work by apologizing for her 'hurtful' actions and has asked fans for a second chance.

The disgraced ESPN reporter was behind the mic covering the NHL Stanley Cup playoff game between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals.

The 29-year-old was suspended for a week footage emerged showing her unleash a vicious verbal attack on a single mother-of-three at a towing firm.

Ahead of her return to work, she tweeted: 'Back to work. Excited to be covering Caps-Isles today. Now that the suspension is over, I want to say again that I'm so sorry for my recent hurtful actions.

Scroll down for video

Return: Disgraced ESPN reporter Britt McHenry was behind the mic covering the NHL Stanley Cup playoff game between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitols

'Excited': She marked her return to work by apologizing for her 'hurtful' actions and has asked fans for a second chance

Making amends: The post continued on a second page, she said it is never acceptable to speak to someone else in that manner

She's back! The 28-year-old has been reinstated as an ESPN sports reporter after being filmed attacking tow clerk Gina Michelle (right) for her looks and social status in a video the sparked mass outrage

'My remarks were completely out of line. Under no circumstances is it ever acceptable to speak to another human being in the manner in which I chose that night.

'That's not who I am as a person and hope those who only know me from this incident will give me a second chance to prove to you how much I value integrity, character and treating people with respect.'

She has appeared intermittently on Sports Center providing updates from Nassau Colosseum.

McHenry's car had been towed from the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant in Virginia, where she left it overnight on Easter Weekend. When she picked it up, infuriated, she resorted to insulting the employee's looks, intelligence, and social status.

But despite viewers' calls for harsher punishment, the network has reinstated the 28-year-old to her role with a spot on SportsCenter this weekend.

Confirming the news to Sports Illustrated, senior coordinating producer Seth Markman said: 'She knows she made a mistake. She’s owned up to it. I think she is just really anxious to get back to work.'

Vantage point: She uploaded an image from her seat during the game

Vicious: ESPN sports reporter Britt McHenry was suspended for one week after the April 6 video surfaced

Markman insisted 'she has a lot of potential as a reporter', adding, 'she is young, she’s learning some things, but I really do believe in her.'

He continued: 'We had a conversation where we both talked about that it would take time and it will be hard. She knows that, and especially at the beginning.

'She realizes she will have to do her job really well and hopefully win back some of the trust of our viewers. We expect that from her, and I expect that from her.

'She did a great job for us on the NFL last year in some difficult situations and I have seen nothing that doesn’t make me think she will rebound from this. But she knows the first couple of assignments out of the box will not be easy.'

Online petitions for McHenry to be fired reached 10,000 within a day of the footage being released.

The verbal attack on April 6 was captured on a security camera as she paid to pick the vehicle up at the tow lot office, where clerk Gina Michelle was stood behind the counter.

'I’m in the news, sweetheart, I will f*****g sue this place,' McHenry can he heard saying in the video.

Michelle can be heard warning McHenry she is being filmed and threatens to 'play your video'.

McHenry seems unfussed, responding: 'That’s why I have a degree and you don't - I wouldn't work in a scumbag place like this.

ESPN's Britt McHenry's viscous attack on tow truck attendee

Caught red-faced: Incredibly, McHenry was warned that she was being filmed at the start of her ugly rant, however continued to insult the woman's looks, education and job on-camera

Unhappy customer: Britt McHenry leaving the towing company and flipping a finger to the cameras

Warning: Since Britt McHenry's outburst, this sign has been placed on the door of the Chinese restaurant

Scene of the tirade: This is the towing yard in Arlington, VA, where McHenry's abusive rant happened

Restaurant employees said McHenry left her car in the parking lot after happy hour then went elsewhere

'Makes my skin crawl even being here.'

Michelle patiently replies: 'Well let's get you out of here quickly.'

McHenry then fires back: 'Yep, that's all you care about - taking people's money… with no education, no skill set. Just wanted to clarify that.'

After a few more comments, including telling Michelle she doesn't have a brain, McHenry delivers her biggest sting.

'Maybe if I was missing some teeth they would hire me, huh?' she says.

'Cos I'm on television and you're in a f*****g trailer, honey.'

Finally, before walking away, McHenry says: 'Lose some weight, baby girl.'

Although she issued an apology on Twitter, the sportscaster did not approach Michelle directly.

The apology: McHenry offered up this note as the video of her awful attack spread online Thursday

Hundreds of people have reacted to the incident on Twitter as ESPN refuses to comment further

At first, McHenry tweeted insisting she had been in the right. But that post was deleted within hours.

Employees at the beer hall-cum-Chinese-restaurant Hunan Number One told Daily Mail Online the sports reporter left her car in the parking lot overnight despite clear signs on the door that cars will be towed, warning bar-goers that the restaurant would not be responsible 'if your car is towed from the parking lot'.

The venue, which features 'happy hour' from 11am until 9pm, was described by enthusiastic patrons as a prime 'pre-game' spot and online reviewers as a beloved dive bar.

Hunan Number One, offers sushi, hot-wings and other bar food, along with 32oz draft beers for around $8, five-buck highballs and half-price bottles of wine, served up in front of big screen TVs playing sports.

When the bar shuts at 2am, the private towing company, Advanced Towing, within minutes began removing cars in concurrence with a rule on the private lot.

The firm showed magnanimity, saying it did not want McHenry to suffer.

In a statement Advanced Towing said: 'Parking enforcement is contentious by nature. At the same time, neither Gina, our lot clerk, nor our company, have any interest in seeing Britt McHenry suspended or terminated as a result of her comments.

'Ms McHenry is our neighbor, and, as she said, to paraphrase, made remarks that were out of line. She is human and errors in judgement can be made in the heat of the moment.

'Gina is a single mother of 3 children who works a difficult job to provide her family. Gina holds no ill will toward Ms McHenry.

'As a small regulated business, we saw no benefit to releasing the video, except to highlight personal attacks employees in jobs like towing, public parking enforcement and others sometimes encounter.

'The video was not licensed or sold to anyone.'