A jury has reached a verdict in favor of both KSHB, the Scripps station in Kansas City and former reporter Lisa Benson.
In 2016, Benson filed suit against the station for discrimination and retaliation. After a two week trial, the jury ruled in favor of Benson’s two retaliation claims and in favor of Scripps in the discrimination charges.
The jury awarded Benson $201,000 as part of the decision.
“As has been made clear during this trial, KSHB is committed to the highest standards of journalistic and organizational integrity,” Scott McIntyre, an attorney representing Scripps, said in a statement. “While the station had hoped for a swift resolution of the claims, we appreciate that the jury affirmed our actions had nothing to do with race. We are confident that future litigation will continue to reinforce our commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
Benson’s attorney said this after closing arguments, “We’re glad to get a verdict,” said Marty Meyers, one of Cooper’s attorneys. “We felt strongly that they retaliated and the jury agreed with us.”