Talk-show host Tavis Smiley sues PBS for breach of contract after firing

WASHINGTON — Talk-show host Tavis Smiley is suing his former employer, the Public Broadcasting Service, for breach of contract after he was fired over sexual harassment allegations.

The Washington Post reports that the lawsuit was filed Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court against PBS, based in the Washington suburb of Arlington, Virginia.

PBS fired Smiley in December after it said it received multiple, credible allegations of workplace misconduct by Smiley on his eponymous late-night interview show.

Smiley has acknowledged having romantic relationships with colleagues over his career, but says they were consensual.

PBS called Smiley’s lawsuit meritless and an effort to distract the public from his misconduct.

Smiley, who is African-American, contends in the lawsuit that racial bias contributed to his dismissal.

Associated Press