In 2016, Charter acquired Time Warner Cable, which owned NY1, and changed the cable company’s name to Spectrum and NY1’s official name to Spectrum News NY1. Spectrum News NY1 then underwent a major staff overhaul in 2017, including numerous layoffs, as well as several new hires.
The NY1 five-plaintiff lawsuit accuses two people of being mainly responsible for the alleged age/gender discrimination: Anthony Proia and Melissa Rabinovich. Proia was NY1’s news director from January 2017 to June 2019. Proia’s work experience includes stints as a producer and an executive producer at NY1 from 2000 to 2006. Rabinovich, a NY1 employee since 1998, rose through the producer ranks and became NY1’s assistant news director in December 2017.
However, the plaintiffs must prove that they — not the entire group of female NY1 employees — were the victims of gender/age discrimination. In other words, just because some NY1 female employees over the age of 40 might have had career advancements at NY1 after Charter’s takeover, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s impossible for other female NY1 employees over the age of 40 to have the opposite experience.
Ramirez believes that filing the complaint while still employed at NY1 sends a strong message. “Do I just quit, and then I just walk away and find myself another job?” she said. “What does that do? So, I change my career, or I change a job? But it allows the practice to continue to NY1 … It almost lets them get away with it and continue their discriminatory practices.”
Craft ultimately lost her equal-pay and gender discrimination claims. She initially won on the fraud charge, but the $500,000 award was thrown out because the judge determined that the jury had been affected by publicity about the case. A second trial resulted in a $325,000 award, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.
Stuff that! A horrendous attitude! I hope things get better there! I wouldn't tolerate that!
Good! I hope they win!
UniteWomenOrg