BRISTOL — The hosts of a conservative talk show on Roger Williams University’s student-run radio station are alleging censorship after they were removed from the air yesterday for repeating numerous times the words “nappy-headed hos” — the phrase used by national “shock jock” Don Imus that led to his recent firing.

After being warned beforehand about using the phrase, Dana Peloso and Jon Porter, hosts of Morning Again on WQRI, were suspended Tuesday after they repeated the phrase more than 30 times on the two-hour show, according to program director Mike Martelli. After reviewing a recording of the show yesterday afternoon, Martelli permanently removed them from the air.

“They used that phrase several dozen times,” Martelli said yesterday. “I lost count after a while. It seems like these guys were trying to be edgy.”

But Peloso said they used the words appropriately in the context of a discussion about Imus and the cancellation of his show after he made the racially disparaging remarks about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team this month.

“It was quite a few times, but it was completely tasteful,” Peloso said. “It wasn’t being derogatory. It wasn’t inflammatory.”

In a news release yesterday, Peloso and Porter blamed the decision on John King, the university’s vice president for student affairs, saying that they are the victims of censorship and that they’re being deprived of their freedom of speech.

Although the station is funded through the university, students are in charge of its day-to-day management. A spokeswoman for Roger Williams said yesterday that neither King, nor other administrators, had a hand in the decision, although she said the school supports the action.

“Our core value of civil discourse calls upon our students, faculty and staff to discuss issues of the day in a way that creates an open atmosphere, not one that offends people,” vice president of public affairs Susan Rivers said. “We had nothing to do with the decision . . . but we feel it was a good decision.”

The problem started April 15, when Peloso and Porter held a special Sunday morning show to coincide with the Conservative Leadership Conference, an event on campus that day that was organized by the College Republicans of Roger Williams University, a conservative student group chaired by Peloso.

The group has butted heads with the university administration on several occasions in recent years, most notably in 2004 when it offered a whites-only scholarship to protest affirmative action. The group disbanded in 2005, but Peloso revived it last fall.

The April 15 show aired on FM 88.3 from 8 to 10 a.m. and included guest appearances by three speakers at the conference.

The guests held what Peloso described as a roundtable discussion about current events, including the Imus controversy. The phrase that got Imus in trouble was repeated 10 to 15 times, according to Peloso.

He said he didn’t hear any reaction to the show until Monday when Martelli requested a meeting before this week’s show. According to Peloso, Martelli told them that King had objected to their use of Imus’ words and warned the students not to repeat them.

“Mike said we needed to step away from the line,” said Peloso, a 24-year-old junior double-majoring in criminal justice and political science.

Peloso said that he and Porter decided to address King’s alleged position on their show. He said they invited King , but he didn’t respond. Peloso said they also told Martelli about their plan and that he didn’t object.

The next morning, they hosted the show as usual and repeatedly used the phrase. Martelli suspended them that afternoon.

Martelli, a 22-year-old fifth-year architecture student, said he made the decision after consulting station manager Keri Lecomte, also a student. He said he did not talk to King or other members of the university administration about canceling the show.

“This is my decision alone,” he said. “I told them not to [repeat Imus’ words]. They did it. That’s what I had an issue with.”

“If it’s something offensive, I don’t want to hear it,” Martelli said. “I’ve been pretty consistent throughout the semester. It’s not like I’m singling these guys out.”

Peloso, however, said politics may be complicating the situation. Martelli was a member of the College Republicans three years ago, but left the group.

akuffner@projo.com