Former Anchor Sues Scripps Station for anti-Semitism
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Former Milwaukee Anchor Scott Steele is suing WTMJ (Milwaukee) claiming that he and other Jewish employees were discriminated against because of their religion.
Steele worked as a meteorologist at the Scripps station and has now filed a federal lawsuit.
In his suit, Steele outlines a series of incidents, including claims that a Christian cross was twice left on his desk.
The suit charges that things came to a head at a 2017 staff meeting called after management received an anonymous complaint and a staff survey where the issues of anti-Semitism and discrimination were raised. "Scripps began a campaign of retaliation against Steele for speaking up to protest the anti-Semitic discrimination workplace hostility he was suffering, and his criticism of the culture of discrimination at WTMJ 4," the 22-page complaint charges. "Scripps then manufactured false workplace 'incidents' against Steele, disciplined him for the imagined incidents, and ultimately wrongfully terminated his employment by the end of summer 2017. Prior to May 23, 2017 (meeting), Steele’s employment file reflected only positive and appropriate job reviews and performance.
In the suit, Steele charged that:
In addition to twice finding a cross on his desk, the weatherman once found a Jewish head-covering known as a yarmulke on his desk.
"It was a constant struggle for Steele and other Jewish employees to take time off for Jewish holidays."
Once after asking for time off for the holidays, he was removed from a "prominent position with demonstrated rating success to a lesser role." At the time Steele said he was told "we need to appeal to more than just a few people," a comment that Steele took as a "reference to his Jewish identity."
A manager once circulated a memo about the importance of "CHRISTIAN holy week" but there was never a similar memo about any other religion.
Steele's three-count suit charges Scripps with harassment and discrimination because of his religion and retaliation for disciplining him and later firing him for speaking out.
A Scripps spokeswoman said in an email that "we cannot comment on pending litigation. Scripps is committed to diversity and inclusion in our workplaces.”
