Ojinika Obiekwe, an Emmy-winning Black TV anchor, has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, alleging wrongful termination and workplace discrimination.
The 46-year-old journalist, originally from Nigeria, claims she was treated like a “plantation slave” by her superiors and subjected to both racial and gender discrimination throughout her 22-year tenure at the network.
Obiekwe, who worked her way up to become PIX11’s on-air entertainment anchor, alleges that even at her senior level, she was forced to take on the workload of multiple employees, handling responsibilities as a segment producer and copy editor.
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She claims that her white male colleagues in equivalent positions received significantly better workplace support. In 2020, she formally complained about her working conditions, asserting that she was being discriminated against based on her race and gender.
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Frustrated by the lack of action, Obiekwe began making pointed remarks in the newsroom and on set, drawing parallels between her experience and slavery. According to the lawsuit, she stated, “This might as well be a plantation” and “Just call me Django,” referencing the enslaved protagonist in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.
She also reportedly said, “My ancestors didn’t go through what they went through just for me to go through this. I thought slavery was abolished” and, in reaction to her workload, “All that’s left for me to do at this point is pick cotton.”
The lawsuit claims that after she voiced her concerns, newly appointed News Director Nicole Tindiglia assured her the network would investigate. However, Obiekwe alleges these were “empty promises” and that the lack of resolution only fueled her outspoken criticisms.
Later in 2022, she was summoned to a meeting where Tindiglia allegedly questioned her comparisons to slavery, stating that when people think of slavery, they think of “whips and chains.” She also reportedly told Obiekwe that her comments made others uncomfortable.
Following this meeting, Obiekwe claims PIX11 launched a “campaign of retaliation” against her, fabricating performance-related complaints. By January 2023, she was called into another meeting where Tindiglia fired her, citing “failure to perform job duties” and “insubordination.” According to the lawsuit, union officials challenged these allegations, and when PIX11 failed to provide evidence of her supposed misconduct, the network allegedly shifted its reasoning for her termination.
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Obiekwe is now seeking compensatory damages from PIX11 and its parent company, Nexstar Media Group.
Her attorneys, Andrew G. Celli, Jr. and Eric Abrams, argue that her termination was unlawful retaliation for speaking out against discrimination. Abrams stated, “Ms. Obiekwe was terminated, and her contract was not renewed, because she spoke up about the discrimination she was experiencing. Beyond being morally unjust, PIX11 and Nexstar must be held accountable for their violations of the law.”
During her time at PIX11, Obiekwe interviewed high-profile celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro, and Denzel Washington.
A spokesperson for Nexstar Media Group, according to DailyMail, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
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