ESPN anchor sues network over free speech after criticizing ‘scary’ vax mandate, and Obama’s racial roots

“SportsCenter” anchor Sage Steele is suing ESPN and its parent, Walt Disney Co., for allegedly violating her First Amendment rights after she criticized ESPN’s ‘sick,’ ‘scary’ vaccine mandates and former President Barack Obama’s decision to identify as black on the U.S. Census — comments that Steele claims got her benched.

During an appearance last September on “Jay Cutler’s Uncut” podcast, Steele stated she reluctantly received the COVID-19 vaccine in order to keep her job after Disney issued a decree requiring all employees to be vaccinated, the Daily Mail reported.

“I respect everyone’s decision, I really do, but to mandate it is sick and it’s scary to me in many ways,” Steele told Cutler. “But I have a job, a job that I love and, frankly, a job that I need.”

The subject of identity and race also came up during the interview, with Steele disclosing that she identifies as biracial and seemingly criticizing Obama, who chose to identify as black on the latest Census, even though his mother and grandmother — the women who raised the future president — were white.

“I’m like, ‘Well, congratulations to the president. That’s his thing,'” Steele told Cutler. “I think that’s fascinating considering his black dad was nowhere to be found, but his white mom and grandma raised him, but hey, you do you. I’m going to do me.”

“Soon after the interview aired on Sept. 29, a backlash against Ms. Steele began on social media over her remarks,” reports the Wall Street Journal, which has reviewed Steele’s lawsuit. “On Oct. 4, Ms. Steele was told she would be ‘sidelined’ or taking a break,’ which she saw as a euphemism for a suspension, according to the complaint.”

 

But according to ESPN, Steele was never suspended.

Steele was, however, forced to issue an apology.

“I know my recent comments created controversy for the company, and I apologize,” Steele said at the time. “We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us, and it’s more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully.”

Upon returning to work several weeks later, the lawsuit alleges Steele was pulled off major assignments, including coverage of the New York City Marathon and her hosting gig for the network’s annual summit celebrating women and diverse voices.

Following a letter from Steele to ESPN’s human resources department in February 2022 regarding her treatment at work, Steele was offered the opportunity to co-host “The Masters Tournament,” according to the lawsuit.

Steele notes that other ESPN colleagues have made political comments both on-air and on social media, and did not receive any punishment for doing so, according to the claim.

Furthermore, the suit states that ESPN has “violated Connecticut law and Steele’s rights to free speech based upon a faulty understanding of her comments and a nonexistent, unenforced policy that serves as nothing more than pretext.”

According to the suit, ESPN “did not immediately review the actual comments or the context in which they were made” before imposing their punishment.

ESPN denies the claims, calling Steele a “valued contributor” to the network.

“Sage remains a valued contributor on some of ESPN’s highest profile content, including the recent Masters telecasts and anchoring our noon SportsCenter,” the network said in a statement.

The network, Steele’s lawsuit argues, violated a provision in Connecticut law that “prohibits companies from disciplining employees for exercising their First Amendment rights, as long as their statements don’t materially interfere with their performance or working relationship with the company,” the WSJ reports.

“Sage is standing up to corporate America,” Steele’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement, “to ensure employees don’t get their rights trampled on or their opinions silenced.”

Melissa Fine

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