Florida News Station Sues Its Former Meteorologist For 100k

WINK News successful Florida is suing its erstwhile meteorologist, Matt Devitt, claiming he was building a competing upwind business while he was still employed by nan company.

Devitt, who was fired by WINK successful January, is now facing a $100,000 lawsuit.

On Monday, Fort Myers Broadcasting Company revenge a 60-page suit naming Devitt and his caller business, WeatherView Inc. The filing asks for $100,000 successful damages and asks a judge to unit Devitt to halt his independent business.

An lawyer representing the broadcaster told nan News-Press that "the suit speaks for itself" erstwhile asked for comment.

WINK News declined to connection a remark to The Independent.

On January 10, Devitt announced connected Facebook that he had been terminated from his occupation and made clear his departure wasn't a communal decision.

"This determination was not 1 that I expected aliases agreed pinch and [I] was not fixed nan opportunity to opportunity goodbye on-air. It was a complete daze to me, my family and chap coworkers," he said astatine nan time.

Devitt is simply a celebrated media fig successful South Florida, and his firing was met pinch furor among his fans. The suit claims that WINK labor person faced "considerable nationalist backlash" successful nan aftermath of his firing, up to and including "death threats."

The suit disputes Devitt's declare that his firing was unexpected. It claims that location had been soul disciplinary meetings pinch Devitt successful nan months starring up to his termination.

"Mr. Devitt publically stated that his termination was a 'complete shock.' That characterization is inaccurate. Over nan past year, WINK News and Human Resources met pinch Mr. Devitt connected aggregate occasions regarding off-air conduct," WINK General Manager Jamie Ricks wrote successful a memo included successful nan filing. "He received written warnings, was precocious suspended, and acknowledged successful penning that he understood continued violations could consequence successful termination."

The suit says Devitt was fixed a three-day unpaid suspension betwixt November 3 and 5, 2025, which followed a disciplinary gathering concerning his behaviour and schedule expectations. Devitt reportedly signed a suspension announcement acknowledging nan disciplinary action.

WINK claims successful its filing that Devitt had a shape of attendance problems, including precocious arrivals to work, early departures, and longer-than-allowed breaks. It besides included an email betwixt Devitt and a leader astatine nan position that WINK's guidance argues was unprofessional.

It besides alleges that Devitt was gambling astatine nan position and had a "gambling problem."

The awesome sticking constituent of nan suit appears to beryllium nan declare that Devitt built his independent task utilizing institution resources and attempted to enlistee colleagues who worked astatine WINK to subordinate him.

"Devitt’s creation of, and moving to create and build, [Matt nan Weatherman Inc] while he was employed by FMBC is simply a usurpation of nan Agreement," nan suit states.

The suit is asking for a imperishable injunction that would unit Devitt to "stop competing and to return down and/or region his various societal media channels."

The Independent has requested remark from Devitt.