TV Anchor Files Civil Rights Complaint

A TV news anchor in Detroit has filed an equal employment complaint against his employer for not allowing him to moonlight for a Christian radio station.

WXYZ-TV’s 5 p.m. anchor Frank Turner said his employer won’t let him do a daily, two-hour evangelical program at 10 a.m.

Grace Gilchrist, vice president and general manager of the station, said company policy is the on-air talent works exclusively for WXYZ.

Turner says it’s a matter of religious conviction and calling, so he filed a complaint against WXYZ with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying the station is violating his religious rights under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The Detroit News reports Turner is a born-again Christian who was the WXYZ anchor until 1998 when he was caught in a crack cocaine and telephone sex scandal. A cleaned up Turner returned to WXYZ in 2000.