Sage Steele Settles ESPN Free Speech Lawsuit

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele settled a lawsuit against the network and its parent company, Walt Disney Co., in 2023, paving the way for her departure after 16 years to pursue greater freedom in expressing her views.

Steele filed the suit in 2022, alleging violations of her First Amendment rights and Connecticut's free speech protections. The dispute stemmed from comments she made in October 2021 on an independent podcast, where she described ESPN's COVID-19 vaccine mandate as "sick" and "scary" and said she complied only to keep her job. Following the remarks, ESPN removed her from the air for 10 days and sidelined her from major assignments, including coverage of the New York City Marathon, the Rose Parade, and the ESPNW Summit. She returned to work but continued to face restrictions.

In a recent interview on Sean Hannity's podcast, Steele revealed that her three children played a key role in her decision to proceed with the lawsuit despite initial reluctance. The night before filing, she apologized to them, anticipating online harassment and threats they had previously endured due to her public stances. Her son, then 17, responded supportively, telling her, "Mom, it's about...