Black News Channel Class Action Claims Company Discriminates Against Women

By Anne Bucher | January 13, 2022

Category: Discrimination

Close up, african black videographer with medical mask looking through the viewfinder on video camera — (Photo Credit: CameraCraft/Shutterstock)

Black News Channel Gender Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

Why: Black News Channel allegedly required women to conform to sexist stereotypes and paid them less than their male counterparts.
Who: Women employed by Black News Channel allegedly experienced gender-based discrimination since July 1, 2019.
Where: The Black News Channel class action lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

Black News Channel LLC (BNC) discriminates against women employees, according to a class action lawsuit filed earlier this month by more than a dozen women.

Plaintiffs Ashley Flete, Claudia Jean, Maria Roach, Felicia Burton, Lauren Coleman, Kyra Branch, Kisha Wilkinson and six plaintiffs referred to as Jane Does allege that women employed by BNC are paid less than men in equivalent positions and are required to conform to sexist stereotypes.

“This action seeks to vindicate the rights of the women employees at Black News Channel,” the class action lawsuit states.

Black News Channel reportedly employs about 300 people, half of whom are women.

BNC Class Action Alleges Gender Discrimination, Retaliation

Some of the named plaintiffs allege that after they complained to Human Resources and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, BNC illegally retaliated against them.

Women employees were also regularly paid significantly less than their male counterparts, the Black News Channel lawsuit alleges.

Other complaints lodged against Black News Channel include allegations the network failed to pay overtime to female employees, failed to properly investigate their complaints and failed to provide adequate resources to perform their jobs.

The Black News Channel class action lawsuit says women have been punished for being “too ‘vocal,’ pushy, and aggressive.”

“In fact, Defendant has standard unwritten policies prohibiting women employees from behaving in insufficiently feminine manners,” the plaintiffs allege.

Women who violate these unwritten policies are subject to discipline, the lawsuit alleges.

BNC’s policy is for employees to resolve concerns directly with their supervisors, which in some cases requires employees to bring their concerns to the individuals who were allegedly discriminating against them.

Black News Channel allegedly has an unlawful policy in its employee handbook that prohibits employees from discussing their pay with anyone, which the gender discrimination class action lawsuit says is meant to conceal the network’s scheme to pay women less than men.

The employee handbook also reportedly includes clothing guidelines that unlawfully sexualize women’s bodies and states that women who do not comply with the policy will be disciplined.

BNC’s Policies Violate Employees’ Civil Rights, Class Action Says

The Black News Channel class action lawsuit asserts violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, violations of the Florida Civil Rights Act, wrongful termination and breach of contract.

The plaintiffs filed the Black News Channel class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and other non-male BNC employees who, since July 1, 2019, suffered adverse action for violating the network’s policies regarding women employees and/or who were paid less than their male counterparts.

Have you experienced gender-based discrimination in the workplace? Tell us about it in the comments section below!

The plaintiffs are represented by Sheryl Ring of Sheryl Ring Law.

The Black News Channel Gender Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit is Ashley Flete, et al., v. Black News Channel LLC, Case No. 2021 CH 03740, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois County Department, Chancery Division.