Fired ESPN Announcer Strikes Back With Lawsuit

Ron Franklin

Former ESPN announcer Ron Franklin, who was recently fired for allegedly making sexist comments to a sideline reporter before the Chick Fil-A Bowl, is suing ESPN for wrongful termination.

He confirmed the lawsuit on Wednesday but did not comment on the details of the lawsuit.

Franklin allegedly said to the sideline reporter, “Listen to me sweet baby, let me tell you something.” After the reporter told him not to talk to her like that, Franklin responded, “OK, then listen to me a-hole.”

Franklin later apologized in a statement. The longtime college football and basketball announcer worked for ESPN for 25 years.

What’s the moral of the story?

Employment Practices Liability claims such as this are not limited to major corporations such as ESPN. In today’s litigious climate, employers of all sizes are vulnerable. According to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data, 41% of all EPL claims are brought against small employers with 15 to 100 employees. This is why any business with employees, or those which begin to hire employees must consider Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI).

Employment Practices Liability insurance insures against claims of wrongful termination, failure to hire, failure to promote, various types of discrimination, as well as sexual harassment.

These insurance policies will reimburse your company against the costs of defending a lawsuit in court. They will also compensate for judgments and settlements. It doesn’t matter whether your company wins or loses the suit. Policies typically do not pay for punitive damages or civil or criminal fines, however.

One more benefit of these policies is that most include risk management services. Employment Practices Liability Insurance policies will typically offer an unlimited phone hotline service, online training, and state and federal compliance assistance from licensed attorneys.

If you are a business owner and are interested in more information on Employment Practices Liability Insurance, you can reach us here and we’ll be sure to follow-up with you:

Thank you,

–JK