A WBZ morning anchor who unexpectedly departed the station last year has filed a lawsuit for $4 million against the former employer, alleging she was subjected to racial and gender discrimination, as per recent court records.
The lawsuit, as published by Universal Hub, claims that Kate Merrill, a white woman, started working as a reporter for WBZ in 2004 and hosted the morning and noon broadcast from 2017 until her resignation in June 2024, as per Boston.com.
Kate Merrill files lawsuit against WBZ in Boston
Merrill initiated a federal lawsuit in Boston on Tuesday against the station, its parent corporations, CBS and Paramount, two former coworkers, her supervisor, Justin Draper, and Michael Roderick, who allegedly looked into discrimination allegations at WBZ.
The lawsuit claims that in May 2024, Merrill was dropped from the weekday morning show to working weekend nights after being accused of unconscious discrimination and microaggressions toward two newly hired Black coworkers.
The lawsuit alleged that Draper humiliated Merrill by making an unnecessary, general announcement about her demotion. Defendant Draper behaved “with malice and ill will in doing so,” the suit claimed, adding that “Draper had not similarly broadly announced the demotions of any male anchors at WBZ”, Boston.com reported.
{{/usCountry}}The lawsuit alleged that Draper humiliated Merrill by making an unnecessary, general announcement about her demotion. Defendant Draper behaved “with malice and ill will in doing so,” the suit claimed, adding that “Draper had not similarly broadly announced the demotions of any male anchors at WBZ”, Boston.com reported.
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Merrill calls her demotion ‘career ending’
According to the lawsuit, Merrill resigned on May 24, 2024, with constructive discharge, claiming that the demotion was “career ending.”
Merrill was not allowed to work in her industry until June 1, 2025, due to a non-competitive clause in her contract.
Merrill, in her lawsuit, disputes that any of her acts “were described or motivated by overt racism or unconscious bias.”
The complaint centers on Merrill's working equation with Black meteorologist Jason Mikell. In September 2023, Mikell was brought on board to take over a white meteorologist who, the lawsuit claims, was sacked without having “never been warned about any performance deficiencies.”
In February 2024, Mikell allegedly implied Merrill “had sex at a gazebo with her co-anchor” in an offensive sexual innuendo on air, according to the lawsuit.