Overview

• Merrill’s federal complaint names WBZ-TV, CBS, Paramount and four former coworkers and seeks a jury trial on racial and gender bias claims.
• She withdrew discrimination charges with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the EEOC to pursue her lawsuit in federal court.
• In early 2024, Paramount launched an investigation after two Black colleagues accused Merrill of biased conduct, culminating in her reassignment from weekday morning anchor to weekend evening shifts.
• Merrill resigned on May 24, 2024, characterizing the reassignment as a “career-ending action” intended to further a diversity, equity and inclusion agenda.
• The lawsuit alleges station management ignored a sexually suggestive on-air remark and a studio confrontation by meteorologist Jason Mikell, leaving harassment claims uninvestigated.