By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH September 21, 2017, 12:01 PM

KB Home slashes CEO's bonus after vulgar Kathy Griffin rant

While CEOs are often seen as being largely immune from punishment when they act badly, one corporate chief is finding that's not always the case.

KB Home (KBH) chief executive Jeffrey Mezger will see his annual bonus reduced by 25 percent after unleashing a tirade-laden rant at comedian Kathy Griffin, his Los Angeles neighbor. The executive's slurs became public after HuffPost released a recording of Mezger calling Griffin a "f*****g bald dyke," a "b****" and a "f*****g c***."

KB Home, which is known for building high-end homes that can cost upwards of $2 million each, said in a regulatory filing Mezger's behavior was "unacceptable and a negative reflection" on the company. It warned that Mezger would be fired if there was another similar incident.

Although CEOs aren't necessarily known for their warm and cuddly image, the public tends to be unforgiving of misbehavior from corporate leaders. Other CEOs that have recently come under fire include Uber's Travis Kalanick, who was forced to resign from the ride-hailing company in July in part because of the company's sexist culture. Consumers often agree that it's appropriate for a company to fire a CEO if their actions are morally questionable, even if it wasn't against the law, according to a 2016 study from Stanford University.

-snip-