Anchor Wins Lawsuit Against Gray Station

A local jury has found that WNEM TV5, the Saginaw-based news station, and its General Manager, Ken Frierson Jr., unlawfully retaliated against former news anchor David Custer, a 12-time Emmy winner. The verdict, delivered by a Genesee County jury, concludes a high-profile civil trial over Custer’s claims of workplace retaliation.

Custer, who served as a prominent anchor for the station from 2013 to 2024, filed the lawsuit alleging violations of Michigan law and the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The core of his claim was that he faced professional retaliation after speaking with WNEM's Human Resources department in support of a workplace complaint made by a co-anchor, Meg McLeod.

The jury agreed with Custer, finding that both the station and Frierson "retaliated against and allowed retaliation to occur against Custer," contrary to civil rights statutes.

While Custer initially sought a judgment of $100,000, the jury awarded him $40,000 in damages. When combined with attorney fees and costs, the total award is estimated to be approximately $150,000. The jury, however, did not find Frierson responsible for Custer's emotional distress and mental anguish.

For Custer, the victory was about validating his experience.

"It was never about the money. It was about the truth. We could have settled, but it was about accountability," Custer said following the verdict. "To hear a jury of my peers confirm that both WNEM and my former general manager retaliated against me... was validating."

Custer filed the lawsuit on July 22, 2024, just six days before he was abruptly fired from the station on July 28. According to the suit, Custer was screamed at by one of the defendants regarding the filing and told to leave the station immediately.

The lawsuit named WNEM TV5, its parent company Gray Television, Frierson, and News Director Jayne Hodak Soboleski. The case, which was presided over by Circuit Court Judge Chris Christenson, has raised questions regarding internal workplace conduct at the regional news outlet.