One of ESPN’s longtime stalwarts is suing the company and its parent company, The Walt Disney Co., for free speech and breach of contract.

Last September, Sage Steele expressed frustration with her employer’s mandate regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and briefly mentioned former President Barack Obama while discussing her racial identity as a guest at the Uncut with Jay Cutler Podcast. Subsequently, she was taken off the air.

Steele’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said the sports media monolith allegedly retaliated against her for speaking about her personal beliefs outside of work while in compliance with ESPN employee policies.

“Steele was punished for speaking her truth in violation of free speech protections under Connecticut law and the US Constitution,” Freedman said. “ESPN violated her free speech rights, retaliated against her, berated her, scapegoated her, allowed the media and peers to urge her, and forced her to apologize simply because his personal views did not align with Disney’s corporate philosophy at the time.Sage is standing up to corporate America to ensure employees don’t have their rights trampled on or their views silenced. .”

According to the court filing, Steele’s legal team alleged that ESPN took his comments out of context. They went further, claiming ESPN operated on a double standard by condemning Steele for his comments while ignoring other political and controversial statements made by other employees.

During Steele’s appearance on former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler’s podcast, which aired Sept. 29, 2021, Cutler asked why she had a bandage on her arm. She explained that she had just received her COVID-19 vaccine as per Disney’s corporate mandate, although she personally felt the company’s requirement to do so was misplaced.

“I respect everyone’s decision. I really do. But mandating him is sick, and that scares me in so many ways,” Steele said on the podcast. “But I have a job, a job I love and, frankly, a job I need.”

On race, Steele explained that she was proud to come from a black and white family, according to the court filing. As the conversation continued, Steele recalled his 2014 appearance on View, where she was asked why she didn’t just identify as black, like Obama. She said she was fascinated that the former president identified only as black despite being raised by his white mother and grandmother.

Steele tested positive for COVID-19 just days after the podcast aired and was taken off the air on Oct. 4, the court filing said, and was told she should issue a public apology.

In response to Steele’s lawsuit, ESPN said in a statement, “Sage continues to be a valued contributor on some of ESPN’s most high-profile content, including recent Masters broadcasts and anchoring our midday SportsCenter. fact, she was never suspended.”

But Steele’s attorneys argue otherwise.

Steele was taken off the air from October 4 to 14, during which time, according to the filing, multiple outlets reported that Steele was taken off the air for comments she made on Cutler’s podcast.

In the court filing, Steele’s attorneys said, “ESPN did nothing to refute widespread reports that it had suspended or sanctioned Steele for his comments, both because that information was true and because ESPN could benefit from the public perception that it had punished Steele for his remarks.”

Steele’s team is seeking damages for ESPN allegedly violating his First Amendment right and Connecticut law, which prohibits employers from disciplining any employee for exercising free speech. His attorneys also accused ESPN of breaching Steele’s contract and intentionally inflicting emotional distress on the anchor.

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