Former KCTV5 anchor Kelli Taylor accuses company of discrimination, retaliation: Lawsuit
A former KCTV5 television anchor has alleged she was denied opportunities due to her race and sex during her final three years working for the station in a Kansas District Court discrimination lawsuit.
She also accused her employers of punishing her for taking time off to attend to an anxiety-related disability that she developed while working for the news channel, according to the lawsuit petition filed Monday.
Kelli Taylor, who is Black, joined the Kansas City television station in 2017 as a reporter and went on to secure a position as an anchor three years later. But when a new company, Gray Media Group, purchased the station and instated a news director from another market in 2022 — Taylor was demoted.
The lawsuit contends Taylor was not given the same opportunities as her white counterparts, many of whom were men who were allegedly chosen to fill vacant positions which Taylor believes the company did not consider her for due to her race and sex. Then, she alleges, the company retaliated after she took a leave of absence to seek treatment for her disability.
A lawsuit filed in 2017 by another former KCTV5 news anchor also accused the news station owners of discrimination. In that case the previous owners of the station, Meredith Corporation, were being sued for age and gender-related discrimination. The case was settled about a year later.
Gray Media Group and the current General Manager of KCTV5, Curtis Miles, were not immediately available to respond to requests for comment.
New management
According to the lawsuit, Taylor was promoted to the “coveted” position of third anchor on KCTV5’s daily morning news show in 2020.
The new title made her responsible for breaking news each morning. She would arrive at the Fairway, Kansas studio as early as 4:30 a.m. for the morning show and leave by 1 p.m., after helping anchor the channel’s noon broadcast, court documents said.
By December 2021, the owners of the station, Meredith Corporation, had sold the enterprise to Gray Media Group. The incoming leadership allegedly brought in new employees to KCTV5, including hiring a new station general manager and news director.
Kate Glover, the news director, allegedly demoted Taylor as one of her first acts on the job, which started Feb. 7, 2022.
About a month prior, Taylor was diagnosed with “Shiftwork Sleep Disorder” which caused a loss of appetite, concentration and severe fluctuations in energy. The symptoms allegedly were connected to the “uncommon hours” and amount of anxiety Taylor experienced at work.
Glover also told Taylor the approved vacation time she had requested in Sept. 2021 would no longer be honored since she had called in sick, court documents said.
But, Taylor alleges, Glover did not penalize other employees for calling in sick.
She believes this was the first instance of discriminatory treatment.
‘So many obstacles’
At the direction of Glover following her demotion, Taylor was made to work in a new role as a part-time anchor and part-time field reporter.
The new schedule allotted less time for Taylor to complete critical tasks like preparing for live reports, court documents said.
She was scheduled to arrive at the studio by 4:30 a.m. to prepare for the 5 a.m. morning broadcast, giving her only 30 minutes to prepare for live shots. Other field reporters, however, were told to arrive by 3:30 a.m.
When Taylor allegedly told Glover she needed more time to prepare to report live on the news channel, like other reporters, and requested to instead report for the 6 a.m. broadcast — she was denied.
A therapist suggested Taylor take time four weeks off work to address symptoms of her disability that had grown unmanageable. Glover’s reaction was “hostile” and “frustrated,” according to court documents.
Taylor’s time off was ultimately approved.
But, she alleges, Glover discussed Taylor’s leave “improperly” with colleagues and said to the channel’s executive producer “Taylor would never be on the desk again.”
When another position on the morning news desk became vacant, Taylor was neither notified nor considered for the role, court documents said.
On April 4, 2022, Taylor returned from her FMLA leave and found another news anchor, who is described in court documents as white and not disabled, had been placed in her anchor slot.
Taylor allegedly was demoted to full-time field reporter.
Shortly after, she determined “Gray was placing so many obstacles in her way” that it became “impossible” for her to continue working at the company. Taylor believes she was made victim to race, sex and disability related discrimination and subsequent retaliation.
She is seeking at least $75,000 in damages as a preliminary amount so that the lawsuit can be filed in federal court.
