After settling her lawsuit against ESPN and Disney, longtime "SportsCenter" anchor Sage Steele has announced her departure from the network. Steele revealed on social media that she is leaving to "exercise my first amendment rights more freely." She expressed gratitude for her 16 years at ESPN and said she is excited for her next chapter.

Steele filed the lawsuit last year over the circumstances that led to her being taken off the air. She claimed she was retaliated against and that her right to free speech and her contract were violated after making critical comments about the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate and former President Barack Obama. ESPN had filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and later offered Steele a settlement, though the details have not been revealed.

ESPN confirmed Steele's departure in a statement, saying that they had mutually agreed to part ways and thanked her for her contributions.

Steele's departure raises questions about the limits of free speech in the workplace and the role of personal opinions in sports media. Click to read more.