Lee Fitting was a senior vice president of the production team and had been at ESPN for over 25 years. But he was dismissed from the company in August 2023 due to allegations of misconduct.
Though it was the dismissal of one of the top executives fo the network, many at the company were unaware of the reasons behind his sudden departure.
Meanwhile, some employees were like, “I can’t believe it took this long.” Fitting and his wife, Debbie Lucibello, have remained silent regarding the circumstances of his dismissal.
Highlights
- Lee Fitting was dismissed from ESPN in August 2023 due to allegations of misconduct after more than 25 years at the company.
- His wife, Debbie Lucibello, has not commented on the allegations about their private life.
- The Athletic reported that women affected by Fitting’s behavior felt they had to stay silent to maintain their jobs and advance professionally at ESPN.
As reported by The Athletic, a complaint was filed with ESPN’s Human Resources department in 2023 regarding Lee Fitting.
This led ESPN to question several employees, including some prominent female staffers. Shortly afterward, Fitting, who was 48 at that time, was fired from the company.
On August 21, 2023, ESPN executive Norby Williamson sent a memo. He said Lee Fitting was “no longer with the company.”
Williamson also said that ESPN would set up a new production structure for shows like “College GameDay” and “Monday Night Football.”
Fitting was reportedly escorted out by security just before the start of the 2023 college football and NFL seasons.
Lee Fitting Allegedly Used Offensive, Sexual Language And Made Lewd Jokes About Women
The Athletic interviewed more than 20 women. Among them, six participated in ESPN’s 2023 investigation.
These women revealed that Fitting used offensive and sexual language and made lewd jokes about women and their appearance.
The women reportedly requested anonymity as they are still working at the network and in the media industry.
“It finally caught up to him,” one woman said.
Many of the interviewees disclosed incidents when Fitting allegedly made inappropriate comments or gestures about them.
They said the former ESPN VP of production also spoke in that way even when they were not present.
Moreover, in the same interview, many sources disclosed that Lee also allegedly bragged about his and his wife’s robust s-x life.
Fitting’s spouse, Debbie Lucibello, has remained tight-lipped on this matter. Debbie is a graduate of James Madison University (JMU).
The married couple share two children, sons, Drew Fitting (born in 2005) and Ryan Fitting (born in 2008).
In 2012, during a meeting to watch the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, ESPN employees in Bristol, Connecticut, were surprised.
Back then, Fitting allegedly made an inappropriate comment about a woman who wasn’t present.
He joked about her ability to down a beer and made a crude remark that the woman would be good at performing oral sex.
Similarly, in 2014, during a production meeting, there were no chairs available for a woman to sit on.
Fitting allegedly patted his lap and offered her a seat there. By 2016, Lee had been promoted to vice president.
He oversaw all college football and basketball studios and remote production. This promotion gave him much influence within ESPN.
Around 2017, an ESPN employee asked to meet Fitting in New York to discuss work opportunities.
Fitting allegedly responded by asking if he should get a hotel room for the night, which she interpreted as a suggestive remark. She decided to cancel the meeting.
Fitting later claimed that his question was misunderstood and that he was referring to reserving a conference room.
Furthermore, in 2018, a female ESPN employee received a text from Fitting saying, “You look hot.”
She said he demanded an on-air talent to tie her hair in a ponytail, saying, “Put your hair up in a ponytail before I do it for you,” which he denied.
ESPN Employee Was Warned By Other Women Not To Meet Lee Fitting Alone Outside Work
One of the interviewees disclosed that other women employees of the network warned her not to meet with the ex-vice president alone while outside of work.
“Women had warned each other to be conscious of interactions with him,” she said.
One more woman disclosed that in addition to commenting on her makeup and dress, Lee Fitting also told her she should refrain from laughing on air. Because he found her laugh annoying.
However, Fitting tried to counter the allegation. He said that it’s his responsibility to provide feedback to both male and female on-air talent regarding their appearance.
Several employees from “College GameDay” shared that Fitting often joked about female staffers’ hotel room numbers and conducting bed checks.
An insider revealed to The Athletic that Fitting frequently made crude jokes in front of women, reassuring them by saying, “It’s OK, she’s one of the guys.”
Fitting refused to comment on the allegations of mistreating women during his tenure at ESPN or the reasons for his dismissal.
The Athletic reported that women affected by Fitting’s alleged behavior felt compelled to stay silent to maintain their jobs and pursue career advancement at ESPN.
Additional Information
- Fitting joined WWE as Head of Media and Production five months after (January 2024) his dismissal from ESPN.
- He seems to be still working in the same position.
- Lee Fitting has amassed a significant amount of net worth during his career.
