While private employers can normally demote, suspend or even terminate employees for expressing viewpoints that violate company policy or employment contracts, ESPN anchor Sage Steele maintains her network exceeded its legal authority in regulating her speech. Steele on Thursday sued ESPN Productions Inc. and its parent, Walt Disney Company, for what she portrays as violations of both Connecticut law and her contract and for intentionally and negligently inflicting emotional distress.
In a complaint filed in a Connecticut Superior Court, Steele argues ESPN broke the law by effectively demoting her in the aftermath of her controversial remarks on Jay Cutler’s podcast last September. Among other points that drew attention, Steele criticized former President Barack Obama for selecting “Black” on the U.S. census, saying “his Black dad was nowhere to be found.” Steele also ridiculed her employer for its COVID-19 vaccine mandate as “sick” and “scary.”
Steele wasn’t fired or suspended, but she says she was disciplined by, among other things, having to apologize, losing out on coveted assignments and feeling bullied by colleagues. In that regard, Steele views ESPN’s response as damaging her employment relationship and career.
Through her attorney, Bryan Freedman, Steele also maintains that ESPN has been hypocritical in the manner in which it punishes employees for controversial speech. She argues ESPN has “repeatedly ignored commentary from other employees—both before and after...
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