Fired Anchor Sues Tegna Station
/Former longtime WTSP (Tampa) Anchor Reginald Roundtree is suing his former station and it’w owner Tegna.
Roundtree is accusing the station and Tegna of firing him in retaliation for raising an age discrimination complaint.
After his firing, Roundtree filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The commission investigated both complaints and closed them as inconclusive, according to documents attached to the lawsuit.
“The EEOC is unable to conclude that the information obtained establishes" law violations, an investigator wrote in July, noting that the finding neither clears the station nor charges it with wrongdoing.
The lawsuit alleges the station fostered a hostile environment for older employees and moved to replace them with younger ones. Over the past several years, the lawsuit says, the station shortened Roundtree’s contracts and cut his pay. His most recent 18-month contract called for a demotion and pay cut as anchors younger than 40 were securing lucrative, longer-term contracts with the station.
Roundtree, who had worked for the station about 30 years, filed his first complaint Jan. 28 and was put on paid administrative leave the same day, according to the suit.
The station fired Roundtree on Feb. 8 but declined to say why.
Roundtree is seeking compensation for pay and benefits, emotional suffering and attorneys’ fees.
H/T Tampa Bay Times