Former WBZ-TV Anchor Files Lawsuit Over Alleged Racial Bias Claims

BOSTON, Ma. — Former WBZ-TV news anchor Kate Merrill has filed a civil lawsuit claiming she was forced out of her job due to unfounded allegations of racial bias while her own complaint about a colleague’s inappropriate behavior was ignored.

Merrill’s 57-page civil complaint was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boston. She named WBZ-TV, Paramount Global, and several individuals, including fellow anchor Courtney Cole and meteorologist Jason Mikell, among the defendants.

The lawsuit states that the actions taken against her significantly harmed her personal and professional reputation in the broadcasting community. It claims that the defendants pursued a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda to the detriment of her career.

Merrill alleged that Mikell, who joined the station in fall 2023, made an inappropriate sexual innuendo during a live broadcast, implying that she and her co-anchor were engaged in a sexual relationship at a gazebo. According to the complaint, no disciplinary action was taken against Mikell, despite management being informed of the incident.

In the days following the incident, the complaint details that Merrill texted Mikell about a pronunciation issue during a commercial break, which led to an aggressive confrontation from him. Merrill subsequently lodged a complaint with WBZ’s human resources department due to Mikell’s behavior during the exchange.

On April 10, 2024, Paramount employee relations vice president Michael Roderick informed Merrill that an investigation would be opened into complaints she treated colleagues differently based on race. The complaint suggests that both Cole and Mikell had filed allegations against her, misinterpreting her comments regarding their career mobility as racially biased.

In her lawsuit, Merrill asserted that her suggestions to Cole about exploring job opportunities in Nashville were misinterpreted as racially insensitive comments rather than professional advice.

On May 17, 2024, after the investigation, Roderick communicated to Merrill that Paramount corroborated the complaints against her but found no evidence to support her own claims against Mikell. Following this, Merrill was demoted from her weekday morning anchor position to working weekend nights, leading her to resign shortly after.

Prior to her resignation on May 24, 2024, Merrill maintained that she had advocated for colleagues of color during her tenure at WBZ. She expressed concerns to CBS executives about the lack of support for Black colleagues at the station.

However, a former colleague, Katrina Kincade, disputed elements of Merrill’s lawsuit, saying she did not feel unsupported during her time at WBZ and that she had not discussed any lack of mentorship with Merrill.

Merrill’s lawsuit seeks $4 million in damages, claiming the actions taken against her were part of an attempt by the station to project an image of sensitivity to issues of racism.

No immediate comments were received from WBZ-TV or the other defendants regarding the lawsuit.