Sage Steele, the anchor on ESPN, is suing the channel claiming that it violated her free speech rights.
She alleged that the network treated her unfairly after she questioned the Covid vaccine mandates in a podcast interview last year. Steele said that the company violated both her contract and her First Amendment rights.
The podcast in question was, “Uncut with Jay Cutler”, hosted by the former National Football League quarterback. In the podcast, she also commented on former President Barrack Obama and how female sports journalists should dress apart from ESPN’s treatment of COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The suit, first reported by the Wall Street Journal claimed that the network sidelined Steele from prime assignments following those comments as retaliation against it.
Steele has been associated with ESPN since 2007 and started her career at the channel with its flagship show, SportsCenter.
In a statement, ESPN said Steele is still a valued contributor to the network's content and claimed that she was never suspended.
