Former Pittsburgh anchor Wendy Bell is suing former station WTAE and its corporate owner Hearst Television.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Bell’s federal lawsuit against Hearst and WTAE alleges “she was fired without cause and that her employer repeatedly called her a ‘model anchor and newsroom leader’ and encouraged her to use social media in her work.” She’s also asking for her old job back.
The lawsuit includes claims for race discrimination under the federal Civil Rights Act.
Advertisement“Defendant fired Ms. Bell because of her race and therefore deprived Ms. Bell of the same right to make and enforce contracts as is enjoyed by white citizens,” Mr. Cordes wrote.
In addition to reinstatement, Ms. Bell is also asking for back pay, attorney fees and that Hearst be permanently enjoined from discriminating or retaliating against her.
Bell was fired in March after making racially insensitive comments on her Facebook page. At the time Hearst issued a statement saying “WTAE has ended its relationship with anchor Wendy Bell. Wendy’s recent comments on a WTAE Facebook page were inconsistent with the company’s ethics and journalistic standards.”