Kansas Metropolis meteorologist Erin Little has filed a federal lawsuit in opposition to KCTV5’s mum or dad firm, claiming she was discriminated in opposition to due to her age and gender, after which retaliated in opposition to.
Little, a 44-year-old Prairie Village resident, filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Courtroom in Kansas Metropolis, Kansas, in opposition to Grey Media Group Inc., which does enterprise as KCTV5. Grey Media Group is headquartered in Atlanta, and owns and operates tv stations in 113 markets.
She is accusing the corporate of gender discrimination, retaliation, age discrimination and violating the Household and Medical Go away Act.
The station declined to remark Friday. A name to Grey Media Group was not instantly returned.
Little claims that in December, she filed a discrimination cost with the station, alleging administration had discriminated in opposition to her on the idea of gender, age and incapacity, after which retaliated in opposition to her when she made inner complaints in regards to the discrimination, based on the swimsuit.
She amended her claims in February alleging extra retaliation came about after she filed her discrimination cost. In June, she obtained discover of “proper to sue” from the Equal Employment Alternative Fee.
Promoted to chief meteorologist
Little started working as a morning meteorologist for KCTV5 in March 2018, and was promoted to chief meteorologist in November 2021. Her employment contract runs by way of Jan. 16, 2025, based on the lawsuit.
Grey Media Group purchased Meredith Corp., which owned KCTV5, in December 2021.
That very same month, Grey Media Group started putting workers from different tv markets it owned into administration positions at KCTV5, starting with Andrew Stewart as normal supervisor, based on the swimsuit. In February 2022, Kate Glover was appointed information director.
Little contends that shortly after arriving, Stewart and Glover started discriminating in opposition to and harassing her and different feminine workers. Each Stewart and Glover are not with the station.
In a case separate from Little’s, former KCTV anchor Kelli Taylor has mentioned she was denied alternatives as a consequence of her race and intercourse throughout her remaining three years working for the station. Taylor, who’s Black, has additionally filed a discrimination lawsuit.
Little contends that Glover employed primarily, if not completely, white male workers, based on the swimsuit.
Shortly after Stewart’s arrival, he allegedly advised Little that he didn’t agree with the phrases of her employment contract and famous that it was “not a deal I’d have finished,” Little contends in her lawsuit.
Little, who claims the corporate’s market analysis information confirmed she persistently obtained favorable rankings from viewers, interpreted his remark to imply that she was “overpaid for a feminine,” based on the swimsuit.
Little claims that Stewart and Glover started to gossip about her and criticize her and different feminine workers in conversations with different workers and outdoors distributors.
Though Little was chief meteorologist, she contends in her lawsuit that she was excluded from taking part within the hiring course of to fill different meteorologist positions. Nevertheless, the lawsuit states different climate division workers have been allowed to take part. Little asserts this was finished to humiliate and undermine her, and to retaliate in opposition to her for prior complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
Bullied and harassed
On Aug. 5, 2022, Little lodged a proper grievance with human assets in opposition to Stewart and Glover, alleging she “was being bullied and harassed” to depart her contract early. She contends this marked the start of a prolonged interval of retaliation.
In her lawsuit, Little described a hostile work surroundings the place she was demeaned, belittled and humiliated in entrance of coworkers. After she complained, her work schedule was modified, forcing her to work Sundays when she beforehand labored Monday by way of Friday.
She additionally described an incident on Nov. 17, 2022, the place she was confronted by a stalker posing as a KCTV5 photographer at an occasion she was conducting for her non-profit.
She contends that when she reported the incident and offered {a photograph} of the person, Glover did not submit the image within the designated space of the constructing and did not take actions to guard her security and the protection of different station workers.
Little contends that the failure to take protecting measures was “extra and calculated retaliation” in opposition to her and was a violation of the corporate’s written insurance policies, based on the lawsuit.
The incident left Little terrified, burdened and anxious for her security, based on the lawsuit. She was not in a position to full her scheduled shift and left work early that day.
On Nov. 20, 2022, which was her subsequent scheduled work day, she knowledgeable some coworkers that she believed she was being discriminated in opposition to. Afterwards, she left for her dinner break.
Whereas on break, she allegedly obtained a name from the human useful resource supervisor who ordered her to not return to work due to an unspecified “incident” at work, based on court docket paperwork. About 10 minutes later, she was notified she was faraway from the work roster for the subsequent three days. She additionally misplaced entry to her work emails and laptop.
The subsequent day, she obtained a name from a union consultant who knowledgeable her that the human useful resource consultant tried to carry a beforehand scheduled assembly regardless of her absence and pretended to not know why she did not attend, based on the swimsuit.
Little contends she was positioned on a three-day depart of absence so the corporate may examine the earlier night’s occasions. In some unspecified time in the future, her coworkers have been advised that her conduct had develop into “disruptive and erratic” and that she wouldn’t be returning to the office, based on the swimsuit.
Little states in her lawsuit that her status with colleagues, in addition to within the tv trade, has been severely broken.
Because of the stress and anxiousness stemming from the alleged discrimination, retaliation and hostile work surroundings, Little took a medical depart of absence. She contends she has been denied her proper to return to her place in her employment contract.
Little contends that whereas she continues to carry the title of chief meteorologist, she has been stripped of all of her duties and obligations. As of Friday, she continues to be listed as chief meteorologist on the station’s web site.
She is in search of an unspecified quantity in precise and punitive damages, in addition to reinstatement or cash awarded for misplaced compensation.
Erin Little claims in a federal gender and age discrimination lawsuit that whereas she continues to carry the title of KCTV5’s chief meteorologist, she has been stripped of all of her duties and obligations. She continues to be listed as chief meteorologist on the station’s web site as of Friday afternoon. KCTV5 web site