Overview

• Merrill filed her federal lawsuit on July 17, 2025, and as of August 7 no defendants have filed responses or a trial date has been set
• The suit alleges WBZ-TV, CBS and parent Paramount Global discriminated against her on the basis of race and gender under their DEI agenda
• Defendants include former general manager Justin Draper, anchor Courtney Cole, meteorologist Jason Mikell and Paramount vice president Michael Roderick
• Merrill claims Mikell made an on-air sexual innuendo about her and then confronted her over a pronunciation correction, triggering an HR investigation into her conduct
• She maintains that Draper publicly demoted her from weekday morning anchor to weekend nights in May 2024, leading to her resignation after a twenty-year career