On February 8, 2021, Wigdor LLP filed a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights against Charter Communications, Inc. (“Charter”) on behalf of five female former on-air news anchors and reporters at NY1.
Charter has refused to submit Roma Torre, Kristen Shaughnessy, Jeanine Ramirez, Vivian Lee and Amanda Farinacci for Emmy Award nominations for their work despite having previously agreed to do so. By refusing to submit them for Emmy Awards, which are among the most prestigious recognitions a television journalist can receive, Charter is materially harming their careers and retaliating against them, the complaint alleges.
The complaint alleges that in December 2020, the women were each told by NY1 management that some of their work from the past year would be submitted for Emmy nominations. For example, Charter confirmed that eight of Ms. Torre’s theatre reviews would be submitted, as well as her coverage of the George Floyd memorials and an interview she conducted with Governor Andrew Cuomo, the complaint alleges. Other pieces that Charter agreed to submit included Ms. Shaughnessy’s coverage of Tropical Storm Isaias, Ms. Shaughnessy’s and Ms. Lee’s anchoring work the day the 2020 Presidential Election was called, Ms. Ramirez’s story in a series on gun violence in New York, and Ms. Farinacci’s profile of a New York police detective who was reunited with her biological family after 9/11, according to the complaint.
The five former NY1 anchors who left the local news channel after settling an age and gender discrimination lawsuit late last year now say the station is breaking its promise to the women by not submitting any of their recent work for Emmy consideration. https://t.co/fEnjzzqZo9
— NYT Media (@nytmedia) February 9, 2021
The five women are represented by Wigdor LLP Partners Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb.
Statement of Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb:
“We are confident that the New York City Commission on Human Rights will aggressively pursue NY1 for its retaliatory and vindictive conduct in denying our clients the honor of submitting them for the Emmy nominations they so deserve.”
The New York Times
“Former NY1 anchors accuse the station of skipping their Emmy nominations.”
February 9, 2021
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The Daily Beast
“Five Women Ex-Anchors and Reporters Call for Human Rights Probe of NY1 Over Retaliation Claims”
February 9, 2021
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New York Post
“Ex-anchorwomen claim NY1 is refusing to nominate their work for Emmys”
February 9, 2021
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New York Daily News
“Ex-NY1 female anchors allege former employer refuses to submit their work for Emmy consideration”
February 9, 2021
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Gothamist
“Former NY1 Anchors And Reporters Who Sued Over Discrimination Say They’re Being Punished With Emmys Snub”
February 9, 2021
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Bloomberg Law
“NY1 Using Emmys to Retaliate for Bias Suit, Ex-Anchors Say”
February 9, 2021
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