WWE’s current Head of Production was fired from ESPN last year after an investigation into his conduct at the company, reports The Athletic.
Lee Fitting oversaw College GameDay during his time at ESPN and eventually supervised all college and NFL properties there.
During an investigation in 2023 which would partially lead to his dismissal, Fitting was accused of targeting women by “making comments objectifying them, criticizing their physical appearance and making crude jokes, some sexual in nature, in the workplace. This went on unchecked for years, according to the scores of current and former ESPN employees interviewed by The Athletic, who requested anonymity to speak freely because they still work in sports media.” Some of the women who no longer work at ESPN claim they quit because of Fitting, his behaviour and the environment there. Four male employees have in the past two years have been fired after they were accused of mistreating women in the workplace.
In their investigation The Athletic interviewed more than 20 women who spoke about “a workplace culture under Fitting featured boorish behavior and offensive remarks, many of them sexual in nature.”
The accusations range from commenting on the appearances and looks of the women working under him, to sexual comments to making advances towards them.
Some of the accusations include:
- In a production meeting around 2014, no chairs were available for a woman on staff. Fitting patted his lap and said to her: “I’ve got a seat right here for you,” according to
one person in the room and another person who was told about the remark from another individual present. - An ESPN employee said that Fitting sent her a text message around 2018 that read: “You look hot.” She showed the text to a producer, who recalled the woman’s hand shaking as she showed the producer the message.
- On more than one occasion, he jokingly asked a female staffer for her hotel room number and also routinely joked about performing bed checks, according to “College
GameDay” employees. - When he saw a woman in an outfit he liked, he’d let her know, sometimes in ways women and other employees found crude and/or humiliating. He once loudly exclaimed “Goddamn!” when a woman appeared on set in a skirt he liked.
- When one female employee left the show, Fitting dismissed her as “no fun” in front of a group of employees, according to one person present. Some women who appeared on-camera were told by Fitting how to style their hair, how much makeup to wear, what outfits he approved of or did not like. He sometimes referenced aspects of their body that he advised them to conceal.
- One woman said that one day, when she and Fitting were working in different locations, he had seen her on an in-house feed and texted her that he liked her hair in a
ponytail. She brushed off the comment, but he texted again: “Put your hair up in a ponytail.” The woman replied that she had already been in hair and makeup for the
day, to which she said Fitting responded: “Put your hair up in a ponytail before I do it for you.” - In the production truck, he would direct people to scan the crowd for “hot” women who could be shown on the broadcast, according to multiple people who worked with him.
- Another ESPN employee said she asked to meet with Fitting to discuss career opportunities on three occasions. Each time he asked her to meet with him for drinks, she said. She declined, as she said other women at ESPN told her not to meet with Fitting alone outside of work. Said another female staffer: “Women had warned each other to be conscious of interactions with him.”
Through a spokesperson Fitting has “denied some of the allegations made 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 released this statement to The Athletic: “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.”
Fitting was also involved in the highly publicized College GameDay/Emmys scandal last year. He joined the WWE after being let go from ESPN.
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