A former Minnesota meteorologist who was fired earlier this year has filed a lawsuit against her old news station, saying she faced “sexist conduct” from her boss.
Renee Fox, known on-air as Wren Clair, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, Aug. 12, against her former employer KSTP in St. Paul. She claims sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation by her boss, former KSTP news director Kirk Varner, which she says breaks the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
KSTP did not immediately respond to PEOPLE‘s request for comment. Their current news director, Mike Garber, who took over after Varner left in March, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that “KSTP does not comment on personnel matters or active litigation.”
According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE, Fox said Varner “regularly” made comments about her “body and appearance” and once said she was “lucky” her husband could “wake up and ‘see that.’ ”
She also said he preferred her to wear “tighter fitting outfits” and complained when she wore pants instead of a dress. Fox added that he criticized her for changing her hair from blonde back to her natural color.
Fox claims Varner’s sexist behavior went beyond words. She says he gave her less favorable work hours, fewer assignments, and less promotional support than her male coworkers, who either “ignored” or “tolerated” his actions.
Fox says she opposed Varner’s behavior several times, but nothing was done, even by HR. When she started openly resisting his conduct in early to mid-2024, she said she faced retaliation.
“In October 2024, Plaintiff was demoted, and on February 12, 2025, she was abruptly fired, with over 2 years left on her contract, supposedly for ‘unsatisfactory performance,’” the lawsuit claims. At that time, Fox had received positive performance feedback and was popular with viewers.
Fox’s attorney, Paul M. Schinner, told PEOPLE, “In Minnesota, when your boss wonders out loud about what it would be like to sleep with you or wake up next to you; repeatedly makes comments about your body and appearance; and then fires you after you complain to HR – that is sexual harassment and retaliation, and it’s illegal.”
He added, “When Ms. Fox finally spoke up against sexist double standards and offensive behavior at KSTP, she was given vague, false ‘performance’ critiques, demoted, and abruptly fired. After seven years at KSTP, she deserved better, and she looks forward to proving her case in court.”
Fox is seeking back pay, as well as compensatory and punitive damages to be decided by a jury.
