SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele sues ESPN over podcast controversy
SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele is suing ESPN for what she claims was unlawful retaliation towards her for feedback she made on Jay Cutler’s podcast final 12 months, according to Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal
The feedback in query got here final September. Amongst different issues, Steele referred to as ESPN’s vaccine mandate “sick,” stated feminine reporters dressed a sure manner share the blame when athletes make inappropriate feedback about them and questioned former president Barack Obama figuring out himself as Black “considering his Black dad was nowhere to be found but his white mom and grandma raised him.”
The social media backlash was swift, adopted by an expert backlash that Steele is reportedly alleging breached her contract and violated her free speech rights.
Steele claims ESPN compelled her to apologize for the feedback earlier than quickly suspending her from the air. The apology, which was released by ESPN in October:
“I do know my latest feedback created controversy for the corporate, and I apologize. We’re within the midst of an especially difficult time that impacts all of us, and it is extra essential than ever that we talk constructively and thoughtfully,” Steele stated in a press release.
The lawsuit moreover claims ESPN retaliated towards her by taking away prime assignments and failing to cease her colleagues from bullying and harassing her, in addition to taking motion based mostly on “inaccurate third-party accounts” of her feedback earlier than reviewing their context. It additionally stated the community’s dealing with of the incident was an instance of selective enforcement of a community personnel barring information personnel from talking out on political or social points.
From the Journal:
ESPN has “violated Connecticut legislation and Steele’s rights to free speech based mostly upon a defective understanding of her feedback and a nonexistent, unenforced office coverage that serves as nothing greater than pretext,” in accordance with the go well with, which seeks unspecified damages.
ESPN, which nonetheless employs Steele, responded with a quick assertion noting Steele’s latest work on the Masters and SportsCenter:
In a press release, ESPN stated, “Sage stays a valued contributor on a few of ESPN’s highest profile content material, together with the latest Masters telecasts and anchoring our midday SportsCenter.”
It is unclear what number of years Steele has remaining on her contract with ESPN, although it is exhausting to think about both facet being keen at one other go-around in spite of everything this.
