Des Moines Radio: Saga Hit With Discrimination Lawsuit

A former employee of Des Moines Radio Group claims her manager harassed and discriminated against female workers, and that the company fired her after she protested to senior executives.

The Des Moines Register reports the ex-employee makes her allegations in a lawsuit filed Feb. 23 against the radio group, which is part of Saga Communications, and several Saga employees.

Michigan-based Saga and its attorneys did not return messages seeking comment. The nine-station Des Moines Radio Group includes top-rated stations KSTZ Star 102.5 and KAZR Lazer 103.3.

The complaint also includes age, sex discrimination and retaliation claims and seeks unspecified damages.

The unnamed plaintiff worked as an advertising account executive from 2014 until she was fired in 2020, according to the complaint. In 2018, she was assigned a new manager, Michael Hope. The woman alleges that Hope showed favoritism toward men and young, attractive women, and would make comments about women's appearance and ability to make sales because of it. He also allegedly steered high-performing sales accounts to male sales representatives, the complaint says.

It alleges that in one-on-one meetings, and later in the general office, Hope frequently touched the plaintiff and other female employees on the arms and shoulders. The plaintiff reports she knows of at least three other women who voiced similar complaints.

The plaintiff claims that after she eventually asked Hope to stop the touching, and refused to ride in a car with him to sales appointments, he reduced her salary by about $7,500 per year, allegedly out of dislike for her "pay structure."

She further claims that in 2020, Hope tried to discipline her for missing sales targets, but that he misstated her sales goals and failed to discipline other coworkers who had performed similarly.

The plaintiff says she complained to station management, which did not discipline Hope.