OutKick founder and syndicated radio host, Clay Travis, has responded to reports that ESPN anchor Sage Steele declined a settlement offer. Steele claimed her employer violated her First Amendment and Connecticut free speech rights.
Travis discussed his perspective on the matter during his guest appearance on Hot Mic with Hutton & Withrow.
In 2022, Steele filed a lawsuit against ESPN and Disney for suspending her over remarks she made about the network’s vaccine requirement.
“It proves to a large extent, maybe it would make it more difficult [to turn down a settlement] if it was five million [dollars] or fifty million [dollars], but $500,000 is not worth it to her to give up her fight,” he said. “I think she makes several million dollars a year, so you have to factor that in.”
Steele filed the lawsuit claiming that she received disciplinary action for statements she made during an appearance on Jay Cutler’s podcast. During the podcast, she criticized ESPN’s vaccine mandate, calling it “sick and scary.”
“$500,000 sounds like a lot of money to your average person, and I’m just spitballing here; I don’t know what Sage Steele makes. Does an extra month’s salary change her life relative to the principal she believes she’s standing up for?”
As reported by Yahoo Entertainment, Steele — who reportedly earns $3 million per year — revealed that she received the COVID-19 vaccine before the company’s required date but solely to retain her job.
“There shouldn’t have been a COVID shot mandate for anyone but certainly for relatively young and healthy people like Sage Steele,” he added. “The COVID shot provided her no protection; it didn’t provide much protection for anyone.”
