Tennessee TV station fires reporter of 34 years after she is named as witness in age discrimination suit

Tennessee television station WSMV, an NBC affiliate, came under fire this week after it fired longtime anchor Demetria Kalodimos, who had been named as a witness in an age discrimination suit against the station.

The Tennesseanreported that WSMV notified Kalodimos that she had been fired by placing a letter on her desk.

In a statement, Kalodimos said that it was "quite sad to end a nearly 34 year career the way this company chose to end it."

She explained that the station chose to end her career "with a letter left on a desk, no conversation, no face to face meeting, no thanks."

Kalodimos said that WSMV also made no real offer to extend her contract, which expired on Dec. 31. But she reported that she was invited to stay on two more weeks "so that the station could create the illusion that I retired."

Kalodimos' ousting comes after the station was accused in a lawsuit of "many acts of age-based discrimination and hostility" against her and two other reporters.

And although Kalodimos is only a witness in the age-discrimination lawsuit, which was filed by other employees, her firing is expected to fuel allegations against WSMV.

"Longtime and loyal viewers need no explanation of what’s been happening at WSMV, a once lauded 'legacy' television station," Kalodimos said in her statement.