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A veteran White TV anchor at Boston’s CBS affiliate has initiated a federal lawsuit, asserting that her demotion was a direct result of corporate diversity quotas related to a wider diversity, equity, and inclusion effort.
Katherine Merrill Dunham, recognized by viewers as Kate Merrill, filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Boston on August 5. She claims that WBZ-TV exploited diversity policies mandated by its parent corporations, CBS and Paramount Global, leading to what she describes as “career-ending action” to fulfill a companywide DEI agenda.
The lawsuit references CBS’s 2021 acknowledgment of the necessity for diversity, equity, and inclusion standards to become a priority across all levels of leadership. According to Merrill’s claims, CBS executives labeled WBZ as “too White,” and cited it as the “least diverse station for on-air talent,” asserting that it was the “Whitest of all their stations.”
In an apparent effort to address these concerns, WBZ hired Black meteorologist Jason Mikell in September 2023, who has been named as a defendant in Merrill’s lawsuit. This hiring led to the dismissal of White meteorologist Zack Green, as stated in the legal filing.
The lawsuit alleges that on February 22, 2024, Mikell made an inappropriate sexual innuendo regarding Ms. Merrill during a broadcast, suggesting that she and her co-anchor engaged in inappropriate relations at a gazebo. Notably, the lawsuit claims he faced no repercussions for his remarks.
Merrill, despite feeling let down, continued to support Mikell. However, after privately texting him in April 2024 to correct a mispronunciation of the town “Concord,” she alleges Mikell responded by yelling at her aggressively on the studio floor.
In her complaint, she describes Mikell’s tone as aggressive and unprofessional. Following this encounter, she lodged a formal complaint with WBZ’s Human Resources department.
Despite her complaints, the lawsuit indicates that WBZ, CBS, and Paramount took no substantial steps to investigate Mikell’s actions. According to the complaint, neither her grievances regarding Mikell’s confrontation nor prior complaints from her colleagues about his sexual innuendo were pursued.
In a troubling turn, Merrill later received notification that an investigation was underway concerning allegations that she treated coworkers differently based on their race.
The allegations against her stemmed from remarks made by Mikell, who accused Merrill of being critical and questioned her engagement with him outside of work matters. Merrill has fervently denied these accusations, challenging their validity and asserting that her actions were not driven by racism or bias.
As a result of these events, Merrill was informed about her demotion from the co-anchor position on the “Weekday Morning Show” to weekend nights. The lawsuit claims this decision had been anticipated for some time.
Colleagues and senior leaders advised Merrill that this demotion could be viewed as “career sabotage,” making it nearly impossible for her to recover her standing in the industry, according to the lawsuit.
Faced with what she described as a damaging career move—especially amid allegations of racism—Merrill chose to resign under what she termed constructive termination on May 24, 2024, with immediate effect. Her employment contract with WBZ is set to expire on June 1, 2025, containing a non-competition clause that restricts her ability to work in her field until that date. As a result, she claims to have incurred significant financial losses.
In her complaint, Merrill asserts that she encountered not only reputational harm but also unpaid compensation for 20 unused vacation days. She seeks damages to be determined through trial.
In recent developments, CBS’s parent company, Paramount, pledged to eliminate DEI policies shortly before a planned merger with Skydance Media.
As of now, WBZ-TV and Mikell have not yet responded to inquiries regarding the lawsuit.
In this evolving narrative of workplace dynamics and corporate policy, the implications of Merril’s case could resonate well beyond the walls of WBZ-TV, sparking a broader discourse on the impact of diversity initiatives and corporate governance in media.
