Former 107.5 WBLS New York midday host Shaila Scott is suing MediaCo and Emmis Communications for discrimination and retaliation.
Scott, real name Amilee Cattouse, exited WBLS at the end of May after a decade on the station. She worked at WBLS from 1988 to 1994 when she moved to “98.7 Kiss-FM” WRKS. She would return to WBLS following the merger of its and WRKS’ IP in April 2012.
In the lawsuit, Cattouse alleges that she was paid less than her male peers, fired at the age of 59 and replaced by someone approximately 25 years younger, and MediaCo withheld her
severance unless she promised not to sue the company for discrimination, including violations of the equal pay laws.
Scott was replaced on the WBLS lineup earlier this month by the addition of new afternoon host Nicole ‘JusNik’ Prempeh, while Deja Vu moved from afternoons to middays.
Wigdor LLP and Gilda L. Kramer & Associates, LLC, represent Amilee Cattouse, better-known-as Shaila Scott, a legendary New York on-air radio personality at WBLS. On behalf of Ms. Scott, we filed the attached federal lawsuit against MediaCo Holding Inc. (“MediaCo”) and Emmis Communications Corporation (the current and former owners of WBLS and its sister station HOT 97), in connection with Ms. Scott’s dismissal.
Below is a summary of the allegations in the Complaint:
Ms. Scott has had an extraordinary thirty-plus year career as an on-air radio personality in New York, the most competitive market in the United States. She has been referred to as “Radio Royalty” and has won numerous awards, including being named “One of the Top 30 Radio Personalities in the Country.” She hosted one of the top-rated, non-syndicated programs at WBLS and HOT97. But none of that mattered to the corporate managers as MediaCo. As alleged in the complaint, Defendants not only paid Ms. Scott less than her male peers but MediaCo fired her at age 59 and hired a replacement who is approximately 25 years younger. Ms. Scott further alleges that MediaCo withheld her severance unless she promised not to sue the company for discrimination, including violations of the equal pay laws.
Statement from Valdi Licul, Partner at Wigdor LLP:
“This is yet another troubling example of the hurdles faced by even the most accomplished women. They are paid less than men who perform the same job and then discarded when they reach a certain age. Thankfully, Ms. Scott is one of the brave women who has decided to fight back.”
Statement from Shaila Scott:
“I am shocked and saddened that WBLS decided that when I reached 59, it was time to discard me. I dedicated my career to radio and to the fans that listen, who I will miss greatly. I hope my decision to speak up will shine a light on the realities that women still get paid less than men for the same job and at a certain age, they are no longer valued.”
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