Former Employee Sues CBS Sports
The Daily Mail writes that a female production equipment operator is suing CBS Sports Network for workplace harassment, claiming her majority-male team made racist and lewd jokes toward her and other employees during her time at the company.
Kimberlee Tessean, from Denver, Colorado, worked for CBSSN and CSTV as a freelance EVS operator, controlling sports replay equipment during college football games, golf tournaments and more from 2004 until she was fired in 2017.
The 38-year-old claims in legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com that the male-dominated workplace environment was 'one of constant vulgar language, name-calling, joke-telling and general abhorrent behavior'.
The men running the team, director Matt Plundo and producer Scott Brandwein, would encourage the jokes and did not take action when Tessean raised her concerns over inappropriate comments made by her colleagues, according to legal documents.
Tessean is demanding $519,527 from CSTV and CBS Sports Network, claiming she experienced gender discrimination, retaliation and unjust enrichment while at the company.
A CBS spokesperson released the following statement regarding the lawsuit: 'We take any hostile work environment allegations very seriously and work to ensure a safe working environment for all employees.
'At the same time, we believe this lawsuit is without merit and we intend to vigorously defend against it.'
Tessean was terminated in 2017 after texting other members of her team a message threatening to 'burn down' the CBSSN offices after not being assigned to her normal sports events.
Tessean claimed that the 'burn down' comment was a joke that was often used by several members of her team without consequence.
Yeah...threatening to burn down the station is never a good look.