Mississippi TV news anchor quits to avoid being fired over refusing COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Published 9:04 pm Tuesday, October 5, 2021

A TV news anchor on the Mississippi Gulf Coast says she left her job rather than follow a corporate mandate to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Meggan Gray had worked at WLOX-TV for 18 years and has been co-host of “Good Morning Mississippi.”

The Sun Herald reported she stepped down Sept. 30, the day before the station’s parent company, Gray Television, started requiring all employees, guests, contractors and tenants to be fully vaccinated against the virus.

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Meggan Gray said on Facebook that she faced termination if she ignored the mandate, and her employers rejected her offer to get tested weekly for COVID.

“I may have lost my job, but I preserved my integrity,” she wrote.

Meggan Gray said she already had COVID and decided against getting vaccinated before the corporate policy was set.

WLOX General Manager Rick Williams told the Sun Herald he could not comment on a personnel matter. His email included a statement from Gray Television saying its vaccination policy is meant to ensure a safe work environment. The statement said exceptions to the mandate were limited to “certain medical conditions and or religious objections that can be accommodated.”

Gray Television also said employees could reapply for jobs if they later decide to get fully vaccinated.