Former NHLer Jeremy Roenick filed a lawsuit against NBC in the Manhattan Supreme Court after the broadcasting company fired him in February over inappropriate comments made on a podcast, according to Priscilla DeGregory of the New York Post.
NBC suspended Roenick and ultimately fired him after he appeared on "Spittin' Chiclets" in December and made sexual remarks about colleague Kathryn Tappen.
The lawsuit alleges Roenick was held to a different standard than NBC figure skating commentators Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, who made racy comments on a July 2 spoof video of 2018 Olympic bronze medalist figure skater Bradie Tennell.
Roenick claims he was discriminated against as a straight man, whereas Lipinski and Weir - a gay man - weren't disciplined for similar behavior.
Roenick also argues he was wrongfully fired despite making a public apology, and Tappen told him "she was not offended by his comments but was pressured by both NBC and a woman’s rights organization to make a statement condemning Roenick’s comments," according to the court documents.
He's suing for unspecified damages, but Roenick says his firing cost him lucrative contracts with different partners and public-appearance opportunities, which usually pay around $10,000.
Roenick was hired as an NBC hockey analyst in 2010, shortly after his 20-year NHL career ended.
