Bad sports at WABC: lawsuit

A FORMER broadcaster passed over for the top sports anchor spot — even after she had been subbing in role for months — claims she was discriminated against because she’s a white woman, according to a new federal lawsuit filed in Manhattan.

Ex-WABC sportswoman Laura Behnke, who started in 2010 as the weekend anchor and reporter, worked her way up through the ranks.

When the weekday anchor, Rob Powers, a white man, left the position in 2016, Behnke told her editors that she wanted the job.

“You deserve to get the job but Camille will never hire you because you’re blonde,” they are quoted in court papers telling her, referring to news director, Camille Edwards, a black woman.

After two months filling in at the 6 to 11 spot on weeknights, Edwards and Dave Davis, the station’s general manager, announced they would hire Ryan Field, a white man, for the sports anchor position.

When Behnke complained to the state Division of Human Rights, she says in the complaint that Edwards complained that a fashion blog that the broadcaster had started violated the terms of her contract, despite the fact that other broadcasters also promoted outside ventures.

“It seems to be a double standard,” her lawyer, David Rosenberg said. “Edwards was just looking for a way to scrutinize her work in retaliation for her complaint.”

The station bigwigs were later forced to resign because of her treatment toward Behnke, according to the complaint.

Behnke was also forced out of the job and is currently looking for work.

“She unemployed,” Rosenberg said. “They got rid of her in what we consider a retaliatory act.”