Cher offers to cover fired guard's legal bills

MADISON -- Cher says she'll cover the expense of any lawsuit a black Wisconsin high school security might file after he was fired for using a racial slur while telling a student not to use that word.

Marlon Anderson said a disruptive student at Madison West High School used the racist term on Oct. 9. Anderson repeated the word as he admonished the student, who is also black, not to say it.

Madison schools have a zero-tolerance policy on racial slurs and fired Anderson.

Cher tweeted Friday that if Anderson wants to sue the Madison school district, she will cover his expenses.

The Grammy-, Oscar- and Tony-award-winning artist says she's sad at such disrespect, especially after the death Thursday of black U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings.

A message left for Anderson through the teachers union wasn't immediately returned.