A veteran television anchor for Boston, Massachusetts’ CBS affiliate filed a lawsuit claiming she was demoted to fulfill corporate diversity quotas.
Katherine Merrill Dunham, who is white, claimed that WBZ-TV “exploited” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies imposed by CBS and Paramount Global, taking “career-ending action” against her.
The lawsuit stated that CBS has said “diversity, equity and inclusion standards need to be a top priority for leadership in every corner.” The suit also cited CBS executives that claimed WBZ-TV was “too White” and had the “least diverse station for on air talent,” and the “Whitest of all their stations.”
In September 2023, WBZ hired black meteorologist Jason Mikell, and Zack Green, a white meteorologist, was let go.
“On February 22, 2024, Defendant Mikell made an inappropriate sexual innuendo about Ms. Merrill on air. Specifically, he implied that Ms. Merrill and her co-anchor had sexual relations at a gazebo. Mikell was not disciplined for his sexually charged remark,” the lawsuit stated.
Fox News continued:
WBZ, CBS and Paramount took no action to investigate Merrill’s complaint about Mikell’s aggressive confrontation and threatening treatment of her, nor did they investigate the previous complaints lodged by Merrill’s colleagues about Mikell’s “sexually charged” comment on air about Merrill, according to the complaint that was obtained by Fox News Digital.
However, Merrill was informed “that an investigation was being conducted into allegations that she treated coworkers differently because of their race.”
“Merrill vehemently challenged the validity of Defendant Mikell’s allegations and denied (and denies) any of her actions, inactions, or comments were as described or motivated by overt racism or unconscious bias,” the complaint read. “Based on the falsity and/or and misleading nature of Defendant Mikell’s allegations, Defendant Mikell acted with malice and/or improper motive in lodging a complaint against Ms. Merrill.”
Hellbound and Down 