"Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely."
-vs-
"ESPN and Sage Steele have mutually agreed to part ways. We thank her for her many contributions over the years."
Those are two vastly different statements published by (now former) ESPN anchor Sage Steele and her former employer.
ESPN's statement is standard vanilla for a company announcing someone's departure.
Sage Steele's statement, however, is borderline dangerous because it continues to foster a myth that private sector employees enjoy First Amendment rights at work.
Steele's lawsuit against ESPN followed her removal from the air two years ago after a series of controversial public comments about vaccine mandates ("to mandate … is … sick … and … scary"); female sports reporters and sexual harassment (women need to "be responsible" and it "isn't just on players and athletes and coaches to act a certain way"); and former President Barack Obama's racial identity ("I think that's fascinating considering his Black dad was nowhere to be found, but his White mom and grandma raised him").
Let me say this one more time, loudly, for the people in the back:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE SPEECH AT WORK.
The First Amendment to which Sage Steele refers prohibits the government from restricting speech, not private employers — "Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech…."
Yes, there are some limited exceptions to the lack of workplace free speech rights — government workers; complaints about discrimination; protected concerted activity under the National Labor Relations Act; and the few states that grant speech rights to all employees.
But otherwise, no one should operate under the mistaken impression that they can flap their gums about whatever they want without workplace consequences. People like Sage Steele who continue to perpetrate the fallacy of workplace free speech are doing everyone (including themselves) a grave disservice.