ESPN's August 2023 firing of CEO Lee Fitting, senior vice president of production, who had been with the company for more than 25 years, was a mystery to many at the company.
Others were shocked it didn't happen sooner. According to The Athleticreported on Wednesday that Fitting's termination was made following a human resources complaint regarding inappropriate conduct in 2023.
An investigation was conducted shortly after the accusations were made, and ESPN officials were questioned by multiple employees, including “some prominent female staffers.”
A memo sent by Norby Williamson, another ESPN executive, on Aug. 21, 2023, said that Fitting is “no longer with the company” and that ESPN will continue to work on the show he directed, “College.” The company said it plans to “finalize a new production structure.” Game Day” and “Monday Night Football.”
He was escorted out of the building by security just one week before the 2023 college football and NFL seasons.
Fitting joined WWE as head of media and production in January, five months after being fired from ESPN.
The Athletic spoke to more than 20 women, including six who participated in the network's 2023 survey. Women spoke of a work culture under the fitting that used offensive and sexual language, including crude jokes about women and their appearance.
The women, who are current and former employees of the network, requested anonymity because they still work in sports media.
One woman said: “I can't believe it took this long.”
“Finally caught up with him,” another added.
Multiple sources recalled incidents in which Fitting allegedly made comments and gestures about women, even when they were not present, which Fitting denied.
Sources told The Athletic that Fitting also boasted about his and his wife's healthy sex lives.
In 2012, several ESPN employees were in a conference room in Bristol, Conn., watching the NCAA men's basketball tournament when Fitting made comments about a woman who wasn't there and her ability to “open her throat.” It is said that he did. A source at the scene said that while drinking beer, the woman joked that she must be good at oral sex.
In 2014, during a production meeting, there were no chairs for women to sit in, so Fitting patted her knee and said, “Here's a seat for you,” someone in the room said.
One female ESPN employee said that around 2018, Fitting told her in a text message that she looked sexy.
Another ESPN employee said she was warned by other women not to meet Fitting alone outside of work.
“Women were warning each other to be careful in their interactions with him,” she said.
Some College GameDay employees said Fitting would jokingly ask female staffers for their hotel room numbers and often joked about conducting bed checks.
A source told The Athletic that Fitting told crude jokes in front of the women and used the phrase “It's okay, she's one of the guys too.”
Other allegations include that Fitting sent an email to an ESPN employee saying, “You look sexy,” before telling an on-air talent, “Please put your hair in a ponytail before I put your hair in a ponytail.” This includes insisting that she wear her hair in a ponytail. he denied it.
Fitting declined to comment on “the broader characterization of him as a man who abused women during his time at ESPN, or why he was fired from ESPN.”
According to a reporter for The Athletic, women affected by Fitting's alleged actions felt they had to keep quiet in order to keep their jobs, let alone advance professionally at ESPN.
Fitting's involvement in the infamous “College GameDay” Emmy scandal was certainly a “factor” in his firing. Reported by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. In January.
