Wife of former Rangers, Islanders goalie files $4 million lawsuit over race, gender discrimination
- Former WBZ anchor Kate Merrill filed a $4 million lawsuit against CBS, Paramount, and WBZ-TV in Boston, claiming race and gender discrimination led to her demotion in May of 2024.
The wife of former New York Rangers goalie Mike Dunham recently filed a reported $4 million lawsuit against CBS, Paramount, and WBZ-TV in Boston. Former WBZ anchor Kate Merrill filed the suit Aug. 5, 14 months after she abruptly left the station without publicly stating a reason.
Merrill was a news anchor and morning show host for 20 years at WBZ, and an Emmy Award winner. Her lawsuit claims race and gender discrimination, which led to a public demotion in May of 2024 that was "career ending," per the filing.
Her lawsuit contends she was accused by the station of "microaggressions and unconscious bias" against two Black colleagues. As a result, Merrill was taken off WBZ's daily morning show and re-assigned to weekend nights.
Dunham's wife believes she was targeted because she informed new weatherman Jason Mikell, who is Black, off air that he mispronounced the name of a Massachusetts town in his weathercast. Mikell reportedly complained to Human Resources, and Merrill was demoted shortly thereafter.
All in all, it's a messy situation.
Related: How Chris Drury went from Little League World Series champion to Rangers general manager
Mike Dunham played 10 NHL seasons, 2 with Rangers
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Dunham and Merrill married in 2000, when he was in the middle of his NHL playing career with the Nashville Predators. He was traded to the Rangers in December of 2002 after it was determined Mike Richter would miss the rest of the season due to a concussion.
As it turned out, Richter never played another NHL game and retired after the 2002-03 season.
Dunham took over the No. 1 role from 19-year-old Dan Blackburn and was excellent for the Rangers the rest of that season. In 43 starts, Dunham was 19-17-5 with a 2.29 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and five shutouts.
Despite Dunham's solid play, the Rangers failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2002-03, nor the next season, when he was 16-30-6 with 3.03 GAA, .896 save percentage and two shutouts in 57 games.
After the lockout wiped out the 2004-05 season, Dunham moved on to the Atlanta Thrashers and New York Islanders for one season each. The Rangers began the Henrik Lundqvist era in goal in 2005-06.
Dunham wasn't the only one in his family to make it professionally in New York. Merrill was a reporter on WNBC-TV in New York for one year before beginning her long-term gig at WBZ in Boston.
After his playing career, Dunham was the Islanders goalie coach for nine seasons. He's currently the goalie development coach for the Boston Bruins.
In 394 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, Predators, Rangers, Thrashers and Islanders, Dunham was 141-178-5 with 39 ties, a 2.74 GAA, .908 save percentage and 19 shutouts.
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