Edna Schmidt, a former news anchor at two Spanish-language stations in Chicago, is suing one of them, Telemundo-owned WSNS, for firing the anchor after she appeared to anchor a newscast while drunk. Robert Feder reports Schmidt’s lawyers filed a lawsuit in federal court last week, accusing the station and NBC Universal with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide the anchor with “reasonable accommodation” for her alcoholism:
After two months on the air, Schmidt was suspended as co-anchor of “Noticiero Telemundo Chicago” when she showed up intoxicated on the 10 p.m. newscast September 30, 2013. Within weeks her suspension turned into termination from her $200,000-a-year job. Management at the time said only that Schmidt was no longer with the station, adding: “We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Seeking unspecified damages for wrongful termination, Schmidt’s lawsuit alleges that her bosses made no attempt to get her treatment.
AdvertisementChris McDonnell, president and general manager of Telemundo Chicago, declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday.