Pride Memo Fallout: Nexstar’s Corporate Chaos

Corporate media giant Nexstar faces a courtroom defeat as a federal judge allows fired news managers to proceed with their defamation suit over a routine memo challenging excessive Pride coverage.

Story Highlights

Federal Judge Robert Jonker denies Nexstar’s motion to dismiss, greenlighting defamation claims by ex-WOOD-TV leaders Stanton Tang and Amy Fox.
Managers fired in 2023 for internal memo urging critical evaluation of “polarizing” Pride events in conservative Grand Rapids market.
Nexstar’s DEI enforcement labeled the memo “anti-gay,” sparking firings and ongoing lawsuits into 2026 under President Trump’s America-first pushback against woke overreach.
Case exposes tensions between corporate inclusivity mandates and local news judgment reflecting viewer values.
Potential precedent challenges Big Media’s suppression of conservative-leaning editorial discretion.

The Memo That Sparked Firings

In early June 2023, WOOD-TV News Director Stanton Tang directed Assistant News Director Amy Fox to draft an internal memo for news staff. The document instructed reporters to assess Pride Month events’ newsworthiness more rigorously, noting their polarizing nature in Grand Rapids’ conservative market and viewer complaints from local church members. Distributed on June 13, Nexstar Media Group viewed it as a push to cut LGBTQ+ coverage, violating corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. This led to immediate backlash within the NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar.

[Eugene Volokh] TV Station News Managers Fired for Allegedly Anti-Gay Memo Can Go on with Their Defamation Suit Against Nexstar Media https://t.co/ZfEbdxveyE

— Volokh Conspiracy (@VolokhC) March 18, 2026

Swift Corporate Response and Terminations

On June 16, 2023, Nexstar issued a statement disavowing the memo, declaring it did not reflect company values and reaffirming commitment to Pride coverage and DEI. A two-week investigation followed, culminating in late June or early July. General Manager Julie Brinks fired Tang in a meeting, escorting him out. Fox and two producers also lost their jobs. Steven Ackermann stepped in as interim News Director in July 2023, stabilizing operations amid the fallout.

Lawsuits Challenge “Anti-Gay” Smear

Tang and Fox filed separate defamation and wrongful termination suits, alleging Nexstar misrepresented their memo as “anti-gay” discrimination. By 2024, cases landed in U.S. District Court before Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids. Nexstar sought dismissal in 2025, arguing its unnamed corporate apology contained no defamatory statements. As of late 2025, no settlement occurred in Tang’s case. Recent 2026 rulings allow both suits to proceed, rejecting Nexstar’s motions and validating plaintiffs’ reputational harm claims.

Implications for Newsrooms and Conservative Values

The firings chilled newsroom debates on balancing coverage with audience sensitivities in conservative areas like Grand Rapids. Long-term, the cases could set precedent for defamation claims over internal guidance, prioritizing corporate DEI over local editorial freedom. Conservative viewers’ concerns about overblown Pride emphasis remain unaddressed, fueling critiques of media wokeness. Nexstar, America’s largest station group, faces heightened scrutiny as President Trump’s policies dismantle Biden-era excesses, restoring common-sense priorities like family values and community relevance.