*After settling her “free speech” lawsuit against ESPN, longtime “SportsCenter” anchor Sage Steele is leaving the company.
Last year, Steele sued ESPN and its parent company, The Walt Disney Co., for allegedly violating her right to free speech.
In her complaint, per Complex, Steele claimed she was sidelined by the network after she appeared on a podcast and made comments about Barack Obama’s racial background. She also criticized ESPN’s coronavirus policy and talked about sexism in the workforce.
Her controversial comments were made on a September 2021 episode of the “Uncut with Jay Cutler” podcast. Steele alleges that on Oct. 4, 2021, the network informed her she would be “taking a break” (suspended) amid fallout from her remarks.
When she returned in mid-October, Steele claims she lost a number of highly coveted assignments, something she perceived to be retaliation. According to the court filing, Steele said ESPN condemned her comments while ignoring controversial statements made by other employees.
Life update.
Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely. I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!#SteeleStrong— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) August 15, 2023
Steele’s lawsuit centered on her being suspended with pay after she called the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate “sick” during her appearance on Jay Cutler’s podcast.
The lawsuit alleged ESPN “violated Connecticut law and Steele’s rights to free speech based upon a faulty understanding of her comments and a nonexistent, unenforced workplace policy that serves as nothing more than pretext,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
Steele sought unspecified damages.
READ MORE: ESPN Host Sage Steele Sues Network for Violating Her Free Speech
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