Longtime ESPN anchor Sage Steele is reportedly suing the network over its handling of comments she made last year about Covid-19 vaccine mandates and President Barack Obama.
In the lawsuit, Steele alleges that the Worldwide Leader violated her right to free speech when she was made to apologize for the polarizing remarks, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The suit also claims that Steele has been sidelined from top assignments since the incident, and that her employer has failed to prevent "bullying and harassment" by her coworkers.
Steele's head-turning comments came on a podcast hosted by former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler.
During the appearance, the veteran broadcaster called vaccine mandates "sick," and she criticized Obama for identifying as Black on a census form "considering his Black dad was nowhere to be found." She also suggested female journalists can invite unwanted attention from athletes based on how they dress.
Steele was later briefly absent from the airwaves, though it was reported she had tested positive for the virus. She apologized for "creating controversy" for the company before later returning as host of the noon edition of SportsCenter.
In her suit, Steele, who has worked for ESPN since 2007, says the company arbitrarily applied its rule forbidding employees from discussing political matters without an obvious tie to sports. She also cites several examples where the company did not take action against her colleagues, the Journal reported.
ESPN responded with a statement:
“Sage remains a valued contributor on some of ESPN’s highest profile content, including the recent Masters telecasts and anchoring our noon SportsCenter. As a point of fact, she was never suspended.”
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