A former anchorwoman for the Atlanta-based Weather Channel says her contract was not renewed because her status as an officer in the Air Force Reserves conflicted with her duties on-air.
Capt. Nicole Mitchell is now in arbitration with the cable channel.
Capt. Mitchell flies WC-130 aircraft into the hearts of hurricanes. While one might think those careers go together like lightning and thunder, Mitchell said NBC and Bane Capital, owners of The Weather Channel, discriminated against her, in spite of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act of 1994. That law prohibits such discrimination by employers.
“If it can happen to me, it can literally happen to anyone,” Mitchell told a Monday news conference. “It’s popular right now to say, ‘we support the troops’ and ‘we’ve got your back.’ But if you say it, you should mean it.
Georgia State Law Professor Lynn Hogue, Mitchell’s mentor and a former law professor at West Point, said The Weather Channel is in a bad spot here.
“I would advise them to settle this case,” Hogue said.
The Weather Channel says it takes exception to Mitchell’s version of the facts.
“The Weather Channel is committed to creating a work atmosphere free of discrimination and in compliance with The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (“USERRA”) and its owners support that commitment. This is a commitment that we have always taken very seriously. We cannot comment on pending litigation, but as with many situations, there is more than one version of what occurred. We disagree with many of the assertions in the plaintiff’s press statements and intend to vigorously defend the matter in the arbitration process,” said Weather Channel spokesman David Blumenthal in an email response to a WSB Radio News inquiry.