Sage Steele Rejects ESPN Settlement Money, Mocks Disney's 'Double Standard' With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
ESPN's Sage Steele has been battling her network after it punished her for speaking up against vaccine mandates in 2021. Steele filed a lawsuit last year, claiming ESPN violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her for "anti-vaxx" remarks. She also made a remark about former U.S. President Barack Obama, which ESPN didn't find too favorable.
SAGE STEELE SUES ESPN — READ LAWSUIT HERE
In the lawsuit, Steele claimed that comments made on Jay Culter's podcast in 2021 led ESPN to limit her time on air.
Sage Steele Declines Disney Money To Keep Up Fight For Free Speech
Sage Steele's attorney, Bryan Freedman, provided a massive update on their legal battle against The Mothership.
As reported by Front Office Sports' AJ Perez, Freedman's statement relayed that ESPN offered Steele $501,000 in settlement money to give up her case, which Steele rejected to continue standing for the First Amendment.
The fiery statement called out ESPN's hypocrisy by attempting to purchase Steele's silence.
“Disney and ESPN clearly admit their liability by offering to pay Sage Steele more than half a million dollars for taking away her right to free speech,” Freedman said. “The offer misses the point. Disney cannot purchase their employee’s constitutional rights no matter how powerful they think they are.”
The statement scorched ESPN's hush money attempt and pointed out a lack of double standard about Disney's lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the inaccurate "Don't Say Gay" bill.
“How about apologizing and treating people fairly? Let me put it this way, would Disney be willing to accept money from the state of Florida and Governor DeSantis in exchange for being silenced? Why the double standard?”
ESPN Held Accountable For Punishing Words Over Actions
At a moment of great censorship in media, Steele's battle against ESPN rings true for many.
Steele said, “I work for a company that mandates it, and I had until September 30 to get it done, or I’m out. I respect everyone’s decision, I really do, but to mandate it is sick, and it’s scary to me in many ways. I just, I’m not surprised it got to this point, especially with Disney, I mean a global company like that.”
Considering ESPN's preference for progressive commentary, their response to Steele's comment didn't surprise many.
Now ESPN's offering Sage Steele half a million to surrender her free speech.
Steele, who's been with the network since 2008, is holding ESPN accountable for incorporating woke politics in their treatment of employees.