Sage Steele sues ESPN, alleges network violated free speech rights after she slammed vaccine mandate

OutKick's Clay Travis sounds off on ESPN's suspension of Sage Steele

"SportsCenter" host Sage Steele is suing ESPN for allegedly violating her free speech rights. 

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Steele filed a lawsuit against the famed sports network, claiming the network breached her contract over its reaction to remarks she made in September 2021 podcast interview, where she spoke out against parent company Disney's vaccine mandate and swiped former President Barack Obama for identifying as Black and not biracial.

ESPN'S SAGE STEELE PULLED OFF AIR AFTER KNOCKING COMPANY'S VACCINE MANDATE, COMMENTS ON OBAMA'S RACE

"After Ms. Steele’s remarks drew criticism in the press and on social media, ESPN forced her to issue an apology and temporarily benched her, according to the suit, which was served in Connecticut, where the network is based," WSJ reported Wednesday. "ESPN also retaliated by taking away prime assignments and failing to stop bullying and harassment by Ms. Steele’s colleagues, the suit alleges."

AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 09: Cisco Chief Technologist Chintan Patel and TV personality Sage Steele during a panel discussion at SXSW on March 9, 2018 in Austin, Texas.  (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Cisco Systems, Inc.)

Steele's lawsuit accuses ESPN of selective enforcement of its policy that bars news employees from commenting on politics and social issues. The suit alleges ESPN "violated Connecticut law and Steele’s rights to free speech based upon a faulty understanding of her comments and a nonexistent, unenforced workplace policy that serves as nothing more than pretext," claiming the network relied on "inaccurate third-party accounts of Steele’s comments" and "did not immediately review the actual