Lawsuit Filed Against Tegna's Denver Station

Back in April of 2020, FTVLive told you that Tegna’s KUSA (Denver) had parted ways with Anchor Kristen Aguirre after she suffered a stroke.

Aguirre suffered an ischemic stroke and she claims that the station let her go as she was no longer up to the Tegna “standards.”

Now, Aguirre has filed a lawsuit against Tegna and KUSA claiming discrimination.

The federal lawsuit cites the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging KUSA management participated in unlawful, discriminatory employment practices that harmed Aguirre by inflicting emotional pain, suffering, and inconvenience and depriving her of financial benefits.

KUSA General Manager Mark Cornetta issued a statement addressing the lawsuit saying that KUSA has robust practices and is committed to individualized programs to help employees be productive in the workplace.

“We worked with Kristen and her medical team to do everything we could to support her in redeveloping her abilities following her stroke,” the statement said. “We have and continue to wish her well. We are confident that our station provided appropriate, reasonable accommodations to assist Kristen on her path toward recovery. Additionally, 9NEWS has diversity programs in place and is committed to an inclusive and diverse environment for all employees.”

Aguirre is now working as an Anchor/Reporter in Asheville, North Carolina.

“What’s become abundantly clear is I can still do this job, but I needed the right team to support me,” Aguirre said in a Denver Post interview. “My life was completely changed after I got fired. I had to leave Denver and make a new life. I’m obligated to support the next person that this happens to because what we know is that every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke and I feel obligated to make sure they have better treatment than what I was faced with.”

There are a number of people inside KUSA that feel the once-great station has lost its way. “Many of the current staff, are quietly rooting for KUSA to lose this suit," said one station insider to FTVLive.

It’s never good when your own employees are rooting against the company.

Just saying….

H/T Denver Post

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