The alleged harasser was later named to lead the station's DEI program
A Nashville TV meteorologist says her employer ignored years of harassment, ran a sham investigation, and brushed off deepfake images targeting her.
Bree Smith Friedrichs filed suit against Scripps Media on December 29, 2025, in federal court in Tennessee, accusing the company of fostering a hostile workplace at WTVF NewsChannel 5 where sexist behavior went unchecked for nearly a decade.
The case, which has not yet been decided, offers a cautionary tale for HR professionals grappling with how to handle harassment complaints, conduct credible investigations, and respond to emerging threats like AI-generated imagery.
Friedrichs, who goes by Bree Smith on air, worked at NewsChannel 5 from January 2016 to January 2025. She co-wrote the weather team's schedule, led severe weather coverage, and won "Best TV News Personality" from the Nashville Scene in October 2022. By her account, she was chief meteorologist in everything but title.
Yet according to her lawsuit, the station allowed a male coworker, Henry Rothenberg, to subject her and other women to sexist behavior for years. In early 2017, Rothenberg allegedly told Friedrichs she only got her job "because of your tits." She reported it immediately to manager Michelle Bonnett. Nothing happened.
Two years later, Rothenberg allegedly told multiple female colleagues, including a manager, "I won't hit a woman, but I will hit a bitch." When Friedrichs went to Human Resources, Rothenberg allegedly circled the newsroom warning he would find out who reported him.
The situation came to a head in July 2022, when station managers promised Friedrichs a "neutral third party" would investigate. The investigator, Katie Ford, assured her she was impartial. She was, in fact, a Scripps employee. Rothenberg received a disciplinary letter. Vice President and General Manager Lyn Plantinga allegedly called his behavior "hugely distressing" and "absolutely terrible," then promised a "100-percent zero tolerance" policy going forward.
What followed, Friedrichs alleges, was retaliation. Her scheduling duties vanished. She was required to submit detailed written agendas for community work. Within a few months, that role disappeared too. In 2023, the station named Rothenberg to lead its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program.
Then came the deepfakes. In October 2024, Friedrichs received emails with sexually suggestive AI-generated images bearing her face. She asked management to involve legal. Manager Michelle Bonnett allegedly told her, "The laws have not caught up with the technology," and advised her not to "let it get in your head."
The lawsuit also alleges female employees faced unequal appearance standards, including mandatory sessions with a style consultant who criticized their bodies. Male employees had no such requirement.
Friedrichs says the cumulative toll on her mental and physical health left her no choice but to walk away from a job she otherwise loved.
For HR leaders, the allegations raise uncomfortable questions: What happens when investigations lack independence? When promises of zero tolerance ring hollow? When new threats like deepfakes land on an employee's desk and management shrugs?
The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
