The relationship between a recently fired meteorologist and her veteran mentor at an Indiana television station is under scrutiny, with anonymous co-workers describing their bond as "very creepy" and alleging station management monitored their interactions. Alex Kerkhove, who was dismissed from WTWO in Terre Haute in June, claimed that station managers told her she could only speak with chief meteorologist Jesse Walker, 60, for short periods due to "security camera" surveillance.

Employees at the Nexstar-owned station told industry newsletter FTVLive that Walker took an unusually keen interest in Kerkhove even before she was hired after graduating from Purdue University. Insiders told FTVLive that the two "chatted regularly" before her hiring and later became "obsessed with each other."

One station insider told FTVLive that Kerkhove, whose job title was Weekend Meteorologist/Reporter, was "attached to Jesse at the hip" during her year at the station, often spending time with him even after her shifts ended or when she was not scheduled to work. Another source claimed Kerkhove accompanied Walker on outside shoots and went to dinner with him on her days off.

FTVLive also highlighted a painting that an insider said Kerkhove gave Walker approximately five months after meeting him. A station insider characterized the gift as something one might receive from a romantic partner, questioning its appropriateness for a mentor-protégée relationship.

Kerkhove announced her departure from WTWO on Facebook in June, stating that management "did not see a future" for her at the station. She later shared a more detailed account on her personal weather page, alleging that management had barred her from speaking with Walker for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. She also claimed she was prevented from posting about events she attended on her days off with station employees and was limited in her work hours during a severe weather outbreak despite volunteering.

According to Kerkhove, after management learned she had a contingent job offer elsewhere, they asked for her concerns in writing. She stated that her requests were rejected, and the station intended to advertise her position even though she had not resigned. Kerkhove said she was called into an early-morning meeting on June 8, informed it was her last day, pressured to say she was resigning, and then escorted from the building by HR. By the time she reached her car, her email had been deactivated and her social media accounts deleted.

Kerkhove credited Walker with providing support during the dispute, calling him "my rock." She wrote, "He has fought for me time and time again. I was only here a year but made a friend and mentor for a lifetime."

Walker publicly defended Kerkhove the day after her departure, stating that he had seen similar situations only once before in his 40-year career at WTWO. He called her "one of the best meteorologists I've had the pleasure of working with." Walker also indicated that the station's handling of Kerkhove's exit influenced his own future plans, noting he had intended to stay at WTWO because he considered Kerkhove "such a great weather partner."

More recently, Walker posted photos of himself and Kerkhove on a river excursion, describing it as her first river trip. Nexstar maintains that Kerkhove was not fired, while she asserts she was terminated. The New York Post has sought comment from Kerkhove, Walker, and WTWO.