Sage Steele Leaves ESPN After Settling Lawsuit, Citing Free Speech Concerns

August 16, 2023: Longtime ESPN anchor Sage Steele announced on Tuesday that she is leaving the network after 16 years. Steele said she would “exercise my first amendment rights more freely.”

Steele departed after ESPN sued her in April 2022 for allegedly violating her free speech rights. In September 2021, Steele commented on a podcast criticizing ESPN’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate and former President Obama’s identification as Black on the census. ESPN suspended Steele for two days for her comments.

In her lawsuit, Steele alleged that ESPN retaliated against her for her comments by taking her off the air and removing her from high-profile assignments. She also alleged that ESPN violated her contract by requiring her to apologize for her remarks publicly.

The terms of the settlement between Steele and ESPN were not disclosed. However, Steele said she is “grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years” at ESPN and is “excited for my next chapter.”

Steele’s departure is a significant loss for ESPN. She was one of the network’s most recognizable anchors and was a regular on “SportsCenter.” Her departure also shows the growing tension between ESPN and its employees over free speech issues.

In recent years, ESPN has become more aggressive in policing the speech of its employees. In 2020, the network suspended anchor Rachel Nichols for comments she made about Maria Taylor that were critical of ESPN’s diversity hiring practices.

Steele’s departure is a reminder that ESPN is not immune to the same free speech concerns facing other media companies. It will be interesting to see how ESPN responds to Steele’s departure and whether it will take steps to address the concerns of its employees about free speech.

Actionable Takeaways:

• ESPN’s decision to suspend Sage Steele for her comments about the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and former President Barack Obama’s identification as Black on the census raises essential questions about free speech in the workplace.
• Steele’s departure is a significant loss for ESPN and a sign of the growing tension between the network and its employees over free speech issues.
• ESPN needs to address the concerns of its employees about free speech if it wants to avoid losing more talent in the future.