Tavis Smiley speaks at a conference in New York in 2014. (Mark Lennihan/Associated Press)Talk-show host Tavis Smiley sued PBS on Tuesday, alleging that the network breached its contract and damaged his production company when it fired him in December over sexual-harassment allegations. And so far, he appears to be the first of the many prominent media figures accused of sexual misconduct to take his counterclaim to court. The public television network, based in Arlington, Va., dropped Smiley’s late-night interview program, “Tavis Smiley,” in December over what it said were “multiple, credible allegations” of workplace misconduct by the host. His suit also asserts that some of the “tension” between PBS and Smiley, who is African American, was racial in nature.

Source: Washington Post February 20, 2018 21:59 UTC