KGAN anchor sues former employer for age, gender discrimination

A local news anchor with KGAN is suing her former employer, Meredith Corp., for age and gender discrimination, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan.

Karen Fuller, former news anchor at KCTV Channel 5 in Fairway, Kan., claims in her lawsuit that parent company Meredith Corp., based in Des Moines, ousted her in January 2015 when she was 47-year-old without 'prior warning, cause or legal justification,” and replaced her with a 32-year-old woman. A few days before, the news director, Ed Kosowski, brought in a young female visitor who was introduced as an anchor/reporter candidate. The candidate auditioned with Fuller's co-anchor and interviewed with several managers, the suit states.

Another female co-anchor was told not to worry because it wasn't 'her job that was in jeopardy,” the suit claims. Fuller was concerned and called her agent who later found out from Kosowski that Fuller's contract wasn't going to be renewed. Kosowski didn't cite ratings or job performance or any other reason related to Fuller's work as the basis for firing her, the suit shows.

The suit shows Meredith Corp. stated the reason for her firing was 'nonrenewal.”

Meredith officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Gazette.

Fuller, according to the suit, was successful and a well-liked prime time anchor. She also served as a station spokesperson at community events and helped build the station's brand.

Fuller was asked to stay on through February sweeps but wasn't allowed to thank her viewers on her last day or finish her work day on Feb. 25, 2015, the suit shows.

'The company's strong-arm behavior assaulted her dignity, cast aspersion on Ms. Fuller's many years of hard work, professionalism and loyalty to her job,” the suit contends.

The suit also claims Meredith enforces unlawful age qualification for female news anchors, which doesn't apply to the male anchors. The company has created an 'age ceiling” for the women anchors, aging them out in mid- to late 40s, the suit claims.

Fuller first filed her claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and received her right to sue release in March.

The suit demands a jury trial and asks for back pay, future pay, lost wages, benefits and other compensation, as well as expenses and costs of litigation.

l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com