Fired Minnesota TV meteorologist claims boss ordered her to wear tight-fitting dresses, reprimanded her for changing hair color: lawsuit
Wren Clair, whose legal name is Renee Fox, filed the sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against ABC affiliate KSTP-TV in St. Paul over the alleged misconduct by news director Kirk Varner.
Starting in 2021, Varner regularly spoke 'about (Fox's) body and appearance,' according to the complaint filed Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court.
'(He) voiced his preference for tighter fitting outfits, complained when she wore 'pants' instead of a dress … and complained about her decision to switch from blonde to her natural hair color.'
Fox said she was demoted from the evening news to a daytime schedule last year after she complained to the station's human resources department, the lawsuit alleged.
She was fired in February after seven years at the station.
'In Minnesota, when your boss has allowed in front of people that he wonders what it would be like to sleep with you or wake up next to you, and then makes comments on your appearance on a regular basis — that's against the law,' Paul Schinner, Fox's attorney, told The Post on Thursday.
Varner, who had worked at the station since 2019, left the station in March.
'KSTP does not comment on personnel matters or active litigation,' Mike Garber, who replaced Varner as the station's news director, told The Post.
In a legal filing on Wednesday, KSTP denied the sexual harassment allegations and claimed Fox was fired 'as a result of her poor performance, on which she was repeatedly coached.'
KSTP said Varner's comments on Fox's appearance were 'standard for on-air talent,' according to the filing.
Varner 'emphasized the importance of clothing fit, informed (Fox) that wearing certain pants, such as joggers, on-air was unprofessional, and addressed (Fox's) abrupt hair color change from blonde to brunette by referencing the appearance clause in her employment agreement,' the station said.
Fox alleged Varner was 'more harshly critical' of her compared to her male colleagues, and gave her less desirable hours, assignments and promotional opportunities, according to her complaint.
KSTP denied those allegations and argued that Fox 'could not be trusted with severe weather coverage and … began deflecting and blaming others for her poor performance.'
Fox took over as the primetime weekday meteorologist for the station, which covers the Twin Cities area, in 2020 after chief weatherperson Dave Dahl retired.
Prior to his retirement, Dahl had 'commented on (Fox's) appearance, telling her how 'great' and 'slim' she looked,' according to the lawsuit.
Fox said she reported the comments to Varner, who 'excused Dahl's conduct in a way that expressly referenced gender.'
KSTP said Dahl had 'apologized and agreed to work on it.'
As Dahl was weighing whether to retire, he allegedly told Fox he knew 'how (she) wanted to have a baby' and could 'cover her maternity leave,' according to the lawsuit.
Fox claimed she had never mentioned wanting to have a child to anyone at KSTP, and that 'sex-based presumptions' like these were common at the station.
Varner and Dahl did not immediately respond to The Post's requests for comment.
Before Fox took over the primetime slot, Varner 'repeatedly and vocally doubted that 'the public can accept a female lead in a scientist role,'' according to her lawsuit.
Fox holds degrees in chemistry and meteorology, according to the lawsuit.
KSTP claimed Varner had 'repeatedly coached (Fox) to use less scientific and highly technical jargon in her weather reports, and to instead use basic language that could be readily understood by viewers.'
In the lawsuit, Fox claimed that other male peers at the station 'treated her with blatant disrespect' after Dahl retired.
She then started to make frequent, formal complaints to HR, according to the lawsuit.
KSTP said Fox complained to HR about Varner only once, and that her shift to the daytime schedule was not a demotion and her compensation did not change.
Though she was not formally disciplined, she 'received repeated performance coaching and warnings up to the date of her termination,' KSTP said.
She was fired from the station with two years left on her contract.
Fox is seeking back pay, attorneys' fees and damages in an amount to be determined by a jury.
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