ST. LOUIS - A former KMOV-TV meteorologist sued the news station and KMOV News Director Scott Diener for alleged gender and age discrimination, according to documents filed earlier this year in St. Louis City Circuit Court.
Plaintiff Meghan Hodge says her broadcasting position and schedule were unfairly reassigned to younger male meteorologists, and she was allegedly retaliated against when she subsequently filed a gender and age discrimination complaint with her union.
The news station failed to act on concerns raised by Hodge about the discrimination and the subsequent hostile work environment created by her male supervisor, the lawsuit said. The plaintiff accused the supervisor of reassigning her off her meteorology reporting duties as a form of retaliation, despite the weather newsroom being short-staffed.
Hodge was allegedly fired in September 2020 as the final form of retaliation to her complaints.
KMOV is owned by the Meredith Corporation of Iowa. It removed the case to St. Louis federal court on March 2.
KMOV is sued with one count of discrimination, one count of retaliation and one count of intentional infliction of emotional distress; the plaintiff is seeking damages of $25,000 per charge.
Hodge is represented by Silverstein Wolf LLC of St. Louis.