Former CNN Reporter Sues Network Alleging Racial Discrimination and Unfair Dismissal

Knowledge Nuggets:

• Former CNN reporter Saima Mohsin is suing the network for racial discrimination, unfair dismissal, and not accommodating her “invisible disability” which she sustained during an assignment.
• CNN refused Mohsin’s request for rehab support and alternative assignments. When asked for a role that minimized travel, she was told she didn’t have the desired look.
• The lawsuit surfaces amidst leadership crises at CNN, recently amplified by a damning Atlantic profile of the former network boss, Chris Licht.

CNN is once again making headlines, this time for allegations brought forward by a former reporter, Saima Mohsin.

Mohsin, 46, is suing the network for racial discrimination, unfair dismissal, and not accommodating her “invisible disability.”

During her stint covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mohsin’s foot was severely damaged after being run over by a cameraman.

Despite her physical struggles with the ensuing disability, she alleges CNN refused to provide rehab support or alternative assignments.

When she requested a role that would minimize travel, she was told, “You don’t have the look we are looking for.”

In the ensuing lawsuit, Mohsin alleges not just unfair dismissal, but also accuses CNN of racial and disability discrimination.

Furthermore, she claims the network denied her high-profile, on-air opportunities in favor of white American correspondents and maintains a gender pay gap.

CNN has disputed Mohsin’s claims, contending that her contract does not allow her to bring a case in London, where the tribunal is set to take place.

However, Mohsin counters, “I worked hard to become an international correspondent and loved my job with CNN. I risked my life many times on assignment for CNN believing they would have my back. They did not.”

This incident could not come at a worse time for CNN, which is still reeling from a damning Atlantic profile of former network boss Chris Licht, who has since been fired.

The portrayal of Licht as an isolated and thin-skinned executive was particularly damaging and led to the dismissal of the PR executives linked to the report.

In light of these recent controversies, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is actively searching for a new leader to restore CNN’s credibility.

Mohsin’s case, however, threatens to complicate this process as it brings to light more allegations of malpractice within the network.

As CNN fights to regain its standing in the news industry, it will undoubtedly have to confront the issues raised by Mohsin’s lawsuit head-on.

Source