New York’s troubled PIX 11 News is on trial.
The station’s longtime entertainment anchor, Ojinika Obiekwe, filed a retaliation suit against the local news station and its parent company Nextar last year.
And the case came in front of a judge last week.
In her 2025 lawsuit, Obiekwe alleged that she was abruptly fired for speaking out against racism and discrimination.
Jury selection in the case started on July 13, and she took the stand twice, concluding her testimony on July 15.
“It was emotional, but it felt right because I didn’t back down,” she told Page Six via her lawyer, Eric Abrams.
The Emmy-winning journalist started as an intern at the station in 2001 and held various positions before she was promoted to entertainment anchor in 2017.
Her lawsuit claims that after the promotion, she found herself “having to do the work of two or even three employees, such as the work of a Segment Producer and even that of a Copy Editor.”
Obiekwe also claims white male entertainment anchors were paid more at Nextar’s sister stations despite having fewer responsibilities and “more support and a more competent staff.”
“All that’s left for me to do at this point is pick cotton,” she said in the suit, reacting to “the disproportionate amount of work” she was allegedly expected to do.
In 2022, she was terminated for alleged “insubordination” and an alleged “failure to perform job duties.” after speaking about the conditions according to the suit.
SAG-AFTRA union lawyers challenged the accusations against her and she subsequently hired Abrams.
Abrams told us that during her testimony, “She spoke powerfully about her experience.” “It’s not a discrimination case. It’s a retaliation case and we believe strongly in this case,” he said.
Past and current PIX 11 employees took the stand as witnesses to support Obiekwe’s case.
The station fired four of its popular news anchors earlier this year.
WPIX-TV vehemently denies Obiekwe claims.
