Fired WZZM 13 Anchor Who Was Suing Former Employer Has Lawsuit Dismissed

A former WZZM 13 Anchor who sued their former employer after being fired had the case dismissed by a judge.

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The former WZZM 13 anchor claimed they were fired for discriminatory treatment toward women but a U.S. district judge and her former employer said it was for completely different reasons.

Shanna Grove Fired From WZZM 13

In a Facebook post from March 21st, 2001 Shanna Grove posted a message that read:

Credit: Shanna Grove via Facebook

Thank you to everyone who woke up with me on West Michigan weekends over the last two and a half years. It was a true honor to tell your stories and be a part of such an amazing community. This week I arrived home in Colorado to spend time with family for the first time in over a year. Yesterday I was finally able to hug my fully-vaccinated grandparents and see my goofball horse. I’m beyond grateful. I appreciate the numerous people who reached out after noting my abrupt absence from the show. I would have loved to say goodbye on the air. I wasn’t given that opportunity. But I’m truly touched by all the messages, so I feel the need to tell you why I’m gone.

In short, I experienced a personal loss in February that has been extraordinarily difficult to process. The natural demands of handling that loss temporarily pulled me away from my work. Unfortunately as a result, the station and I have parted ways.

I’ve long wanted to pursue other dreams. So I’m choosing to see this as a great opportunity. I’ll soon have some exciting news to share about what’s next as I follow those dreams. Thanks to all of you for the incredible support and love. Please continue to spread it as you never know who may need it most

Why Did Shanna Grove Say She Was Fired From WZZM 13?

Shanna claimed she was fired after she complained that co-workers, mostly males, ignored coronavirus protocols and worked while symptomatic. She also claimed the station allowed “exposed and symptomatic employees to physically report to work without quarantining. Shanna also filed an ethics complaint with Tenga, the parent company, alleging “disparate” treatment of male and female workers.

Why Did The Judge Dismiss Shanna Grove's Lawsuit?

According to MLive U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou said in a written opinion

“Grove was late for work on many occasions despite several instructions from her supervisor to arrive on time for her shifts, And after that same supervisor expressly and repeatedly denied Grove’s request to take a leave of absence, telling her that WZZM could not accommodate her request, Grove took one anyway. That conduct motivated Grove’s termination, not any complaints that she had made a couple of months earlier.

Tardiness Appeared To Be A Major Part Of Shanna Grove's Firing

Mlive reported that a 2019 performance evaluation showed that Grove’s tardiness was a recurring problem. The general manager wrote:

“Your weekend shift is just as important as during the week (if not more). We have had issues throughout the year with you coming in late or leaving way before your shift ends to catch a train. I have had to talk with you a couple of times about this.”

I can empathize with Shanna Grove's fear of not coming to work and catching Covid. When the Pandemic began I had the same concerns.

I feel like she might have had a better case if she didn't show up late to work so many times. A “swipe report” of Grove’s security badge showed she was late for work on 20 of 33 workdays from Nov. 1, 2020, to Jan. 1, 2021. I don't know what it's like working on TV, but I know doing a live and local morning show from 6-10 am that if someone on the show is late it affects everyone else and the overall quality of the show since so much is done before we go on air.

About Shanna Grove

Shanna was an anchor/reporter at WZZM, the ABC-affiliate in West Michigan, for three years. During her time she solo anchored 5-hours of news every weekend and independently executed stories.

She graduated with honors from the University of Missouri. During her time in Columbia, Mo. she was a reporter, anchor and producer at KOMU. She also has experience with investigative work, web production and creating digital content.

She earned a Kansas City Press Club Gold Award for an in-depth investigative series on bullying. A story-exclusive website for the series also contributed to a National Edward R. Murrow for Best News Website in small market television. Most recently, Shanna served as the Verify Producer for NBC-affiliate KUSA, in Denver.

Shanna is a fourth-generation Colorado native. When she is not at work, she is either going on new adventures with friends, checking out a new restaurant, or spending time with her cat.