Kate Merrill, a WBZ morning anchor, has filed a $4 million lawsuit, alleging gender and racial discrimination after being accused of microaggressions towards Black colleagues. She was demoted from her weekday show to working weekend nights, a change she claims was handled maliciously by her superior, Justin Draper. Merrill asserts that her actions were not driven by racism or bias. Following her demotion, she resigned, citing a career-ending impact of the circumstances. Merrill's contract includes a non-competitive clause that prevents her from working in the field until June 2025.
Merrill, a white woman, began as a reporter for WBZ in 2004 and co-anchored the morning and noon news from 2017 until her departure in June of 2024.
Merrill filed a federal lawsuit in Boston Tuesday against the station, parent companies CBS and Paramount, two former colleagues, her superior Justin Draper, and Michael Roderick, who investigated complaints of discrimination at WBZ.
Merrill denies that any of her actions "were described or motivated by overt racism or unconscious bias," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges the demotion was "career ending," leading to her constructive discharge resignation on May 24, 2024.
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