Former CBS Station Meteorologist Files Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

Bree Smith, a former meteorologist with NewsChannel 5, has filed a lawsuit alleging she was the victim of “sexist verbal abuse” from current weather forecaster Henry Rothenberg. The Tennessean reports a long list of offenses she says she suffered while working alongside Rothenberg for nine years,

Rothenberg, who joined NewsChannel 5 in 2016, has not responded to any questions from the outlet about the allegations. A spokesman for NewsChannel 5’s corporate owner has responded.

“We strongly disagree with the characterizations brought by Bree Smith’s legal team and plan to aggressively defend ourselves,” they said in part. “Prior to her abrupt departure, we were actively working with Bree to continue her tenure with our award-winning team at NewsChannel 5. We were disappointed that those negotiations were not successful. The leadership of NewsChannel 5 and our parent company, Scripps, work hard to create a positive work environment for our employees. We take very seriously any claims of mistreatment and address them promptly. Any concerns brought to us by Bree were investigated thoroughly. It is unfortunate that we must now address these matters publicly. The facts will show the station took appropriate action and Bree’s lawsuit against the station is without merit.” 

The lawsuit alleges management didn’t perform a thorough investigation and there were no actions taken to ensure a safe workplace environment or hold Rothenberg accountable. She says the station’s managers did not intervene when complaints were made.

Both Smith and the news station confirmed they parted ways in January 2025 at the end of her contract after contract negotiations failed, and Smith alleges she was not given a proper goodbye via an on-air tribute. Station managers insist they tried to keep Smith and suggested they didn’t give her an on-air goodbye because she didn’t want one.

Some of the allegations listed by Smith include women anchors were forced to have their aesthetic controlled in terms of makeup and wardrobe despite male anchors not being required the same. She also claims her workload was not properly compensated in the likes of her male colleagues, amongst other instances.