Former News Director Sues Providence Station

Allison Gaito, the former news director for Providence television station WLNE, has filed a federal lawsuit against the station and its parent company, Standard Media. The suit alleges "unlawful retaliation, gender discrimination, and maintaining a sexually hostile workplace."

Gaito, who previously served as a news anchor at WPRO and a producer at WPRI, was appointed news director at WLNE in 2022. In the lawsuit, she claims she was wrongfully terminated after a challenging year-long tenure marked by high staff turnover, persistent low ratings, and a fire that caused damage to the station's Providence headquarters.

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, details a series of allegations, claiming that male superiors consistently undermined Gaito's authority. As one example, the suit states that her efforts to promote veteran meteorologist Kelly Bates to the position of chief meteorologist were blocked by her superiors.

Furthermore, the complaint alleges specific instances of a hostile work environment. It claims Gaito was "stunned and became extremely uncomfortable" after a male executive, on two separate occasions, told a story in which he encouraged another female employee to "flirt with the camera like it was not her husband" and to "make passionate love to the anchor desk."