New York's PIX11 News has been thrust into the spotlight of a recent lawsuit, accused of gender and racial discrimination by former entertainment anchor/reporter Ojinika Obiekwe. Obiekwe's journey with the local New York station began as an intern in 2001, where she climbed the ladder over the span of 16 years, transitioning from an assignment editor to a producer/reporter, as detailed in her station biography. Her extensive bio, still featured on the station's website, concludes with the note, "Ojinika separated from PIX11 in 2022."
In 2017, she was bestowed with a full-time on-air role as an entertainment anchor, a position she cherished deeply. "The best part of my job is that I love what I do and excel at it. Through this platform, I've realized I can reach and touch numerous lives, particularly women—not just in Nigeria, but across the entire continent of Africa, and hopefully, the globe," she expresses in her bio.
However, post-promotion, Obiekwe found herself overloaded with responsibilities, akin to "doing the work of two or even three employees, including tasks of a Segment Producer and Copy Editor," with insufficient support, alleges the lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York last month. Furthermore, the suit contends that white male entertainment anchors at sister stations—KTLA in Los Angeles and WGN-TV in Chicago, both subsidiaries of parent company Nexstar—were compensated more with lesser duties and enjoyed "greater support and a more capable staff" compared to her.
As an Emmy-winning journalist, Obiekwe voiced her grievances about her work environment and alleged discrimination, likening her working conditions to those on a plantation. "All that's left for me to do at this point is pick cotton," she lamented, reacting to the "disproportionate workload" she was burdened with, according to the lawsuit.
She also spoke out against racial discrimination, stating to the station, "Just call me Django [the fictional character from Quentin Tarantino's 2012 film]—but even Django was unchained," as quoted in the suit. Additionally, she expressed, "My ancestors didn't endure what they did just for me to face this," and "I thought slavery was abolished," the complaint further alleges.
Obiekwe's news director, according to the filing, instructed her to cease her complaints as they were making others uneasy. Ultimately, in 2023, she was terminated on alleged charges of "insubordination" and "failure to perform job duties," as claimed by the suit.
Obiekwe and lawyers from the SAG-AFTRA union challenged these allegations against her and discovered that "PIX11's charges could not be substantiated by any evidence," according to the complaint. The suit also reveals that the news director retracted the original reasons given to Obiekwe and decided that PIX11 was merely not renewing her contract, without providing a reason.
Subsequently, Obiekwe enlisted the legal expertise of attorneys Andrew G. Celli and Eric Adams from the ECBAWM law firm to pursue her case. "Ms. Obiekwe was terminated and her contract was not renewed because she dared to speak up about the discrimination she faced. Beyond being morally unjust, PIX11 and Nexstar must be accountable for their violations of the law," Abrams stated in a press release.
Requests for comment from a PIX11 spokesperson were unanswered.
