Max McGee was reportedly let go from ESPN after a complaint from a female employee.
Earlier this year, ESPN fired SportsCenter anchor Max McGee. A report about his departure surfaced this week.
Highlights
- Max McGee has departed from ESPN after a complaint was filed against him by one of the female employees.
- McGee’s incident follows the dismissal of a vice president, Lee Fitting, in 2023.
- In April 2024, McGee shared his demo reel on Twitter, indicating that he was no longer linked to ESPN.
McGee joined ESPN in 2022 after working at WJZ-TV, the CBS affiliate in Baltimore. He was a news anchor for three years before taking his talents to SportsCenter.
In addition to having experience as an anchor, he worked as a reporter and producer for KPLC-TV in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he attended Camden County College from 2008 to 2012, then joined Temple University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Broadcast Journalism.
Moreover, he was a news anchor at WMBF in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from July 2017 to January 2019.
Max McGee’s Departure Follows The Earlier Dismissal Of Lee Fitting
SportsCenter anchor at ESPN Max McGee departed from the network in February 2024 following a complaint from a female employee.
While the athletics report didn’t indicate the reason behind the complaint against McGee, it was included in a report regarding former senior vice president of production Lee Fitting’s exit from ESPN.
According to The Athletic, the former College GameDay producer was let go in August 2023 following a human resource investigation into Fitting’s alleged crude comments and behavior toward women.
The first sign of trouble for Fitting came in 2023 when he learned that “College GameDay” was involved in a scheme.
They sent falsified submissions to The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. This cooperation led to “College GameDay” receiving over 30 statuettes they didn’t earn.
According to multiple sources, The Athletic made the scheme public, and Fitting was banned from future Emmy participation.
In July 2023, an HR official contacted some employees who had worked with Fitting about a confidential matter.
A memo sent by Norby Williamson, another top executive at ESPN, on August 21, 2023, said Fitting was no longer with the company, and ESPN would be “finalizing a new production structure” for the shows he oversaw, including “College GamieDay” and “Monday Night Football.”
Fitting, via a spokesperson, denied some allegations against him while choosing not to address others.
He declined to comment on the broader characterization of him as someone who mistreated women during his tenure at ESPN or why he was let go by the network.
ESPN also declined to discuss Fitting’s dismissal, citing the company’s policy of not discussing personnel matters. Williamson, who is no longer at ESPN, also declined to comment.
In a statement, the network said,
“ESPN is dedicated to maintaining the most inclusive, respectful and comfortable work environment for everyone. Our people are the most valuable resource at ESPN, and we ensure our commitment by providing year-round guidance, including extensive support and training. On top of that, we clearly communicate workplace expectations for all, while emphasizing care, sensitivity and accessibility in response to any employee needs.”
ESPN
The revelation regarding McGee’s departure came from a series of examples in the report that depict ESPN’s shifting approach to dealing with such behavior and accusations.
McGee told The Athletic he had been advised not to comment on the matter and directed the outlet to a spokesperson who didn’t respond to multiple requests.
A former sports anchor at Baltimore CBS-affiliated WJZ-TV, McGee first arrived at ESPN in January 2022.
The Temple alum’s hiring received plenty of fanfare due to his unique journey from being a college dropout to landing a job as a worldwide leader in sports.
In April 2024, Max McGee shared his demo reel on Twitter, seemingly indicating that he was no longer at ESPN. The post has since been deleted.
However, it is unclear whether McGee landed back on his feet with a different TV network. For now, the Temple University graduate is considered a free agent.
Additional Information
- He worked as a server assistant at The Capital Grille from November 2015 to August 2016 and as a weekend producer at Raycom Media from April 2017 to July 2017.
- Max McGee was the food server at Famous Dave’s of America at Cherry Hill from 2008 to 2015.
- McGee has an estimated net worth of around $1 million as of 2024.
