The alleged remarks came from the very people tasked with preventing them
A longtime television sales director alleges he was fired days after pushing back on antisemitic comments — made by his own HR manager.
Seth Abraham Rosenthal spent 15 years at Meredith Corporation and later Gray Media, most recently running the sales operation at KCTV5 in the Kansas City market. He managed a team of 20, pulled in total compensation between $275,000 and $350,000, and never once received a negative review. In 2021, his manager stated that he "really could not ask for a better performance from our Director of Sales."
Then, according to a federal lawsuit filed on April 11, 2026, everything fell apart.
In Rosenthal v. Gray Local Media, Inc. et al. (No. 2:26-cv-02194, D. Kan.), the 54-year-old alleges that antisemitic remarks by senior leaders — including the company's own HR manager — went unchecked, and that he was ultimately terminated in retaliation for speaking up.
The alleged pattern, as laid out in the filing, began shortly after Gray Media acquired KCTV5 in December 2021. During a management meeting on December 17, 2021, then-General Manager Andrew Stewart reportedly said, "It's not like we are running a concentration camp here." Rosenthal, whose grandparents fled Germany during the Holocaust, objected on the spot and reported it to HR Manager Monica Ngo. The filing alleges Ngo disclosed his complaint directly to Stewart, who brushed it off. No meaningful remedial action followed, according to the filing.
A subsequent General Manager, Curtis Miles, allegedly told an internal research team that "Seth is just like a Jewish mother." And on April 29, 2025, during a sales meeting, HR Manager Larry Eighme allegedly said, "even the Jews are spending money right now!"
Rosenthal says he pushed back immediately.
What happened next is where this case gets especially uncomfortable for the HR profession. Within days, according to the filing, Eighme began questioning department heads about whether Rosenthal had said anything negative about Miles — an investigation Rosenthal characterizes as unprecedented at the station. Eighme allegedly told at least one department head that Rosenthal had said "volatile things," claims Rosenthal says were false.
On May 7, 2025, Miles suspended Rosenthal for alleged "insubordination." According to the filing, the suspension stemmed from Rosenthal pushing back on Miles's refusal to grant work-from-home arrangements for team members dealing with chemotherapy, fertility treatment, and port management treatments. The next day, Rosenthal returned, apologized, and was told by Miles they could move forward. On May 9, he was terminated over a Teams call. No explanation was given, the filing alleges.
The lawsuit raises ten federal claims spanning discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, age, and disability, as well as retaliation under Title VII, the ADA, and the FMLA. Rosenthal is seeking damages in excess of $75,000, including back pay, front pay, over $22,000 in unpaid accrued sick time, and punitive damages.
No final determination has been made in this case. The claims described reflect allegations in the court filing and have not been proven.
