She's on her way to KING in August, but Patreons on ftvlive.com show several colleagues complaining about bullying tactcs and not wanting to work with her. It may explain why she moved from station to station in Seattle back in the day and wound up in a podunk market for years.
Here's the post, you be the judge:
FTVLive has heard from a number of staffers who described Lewis as a straight up "Bully."
Now, normally, when someone reaches out to FTVLive and describes a co-worker is "mean" or a "bully", we don't pay it much attention. Not everyone likes each other and in a business full of big egos, there will be friction.
But, the word "bully" kept popping up, when talking to people inside the WYFF newsroom.
One insider shared a story in which WYFF Anchor Destiny Chance was to read a story while standing in front of the chroma key.
One WYFF staffer described it this way, "Destiny had a shot at the chroma key after weather. The producers put a story between weather and that story to give time to set the position. Parella REFUSED to move and just stood there with an intimidating presence. She looked at Destiny and said "you got a problem?" and continued to stand there. The story obviously missed its slot because of this ongoing bullying."
Obviously, the incident was bad enough that Destiny Chance sent a memo to the newsroom saying she wasn't coming back to work, until management addressed the issue.
Here's that memo:
Chance followed through, and did not report for work, as she said.
Newsroom insiders say that they have taken their complaints to management, but it "fell on deaf ears." Sources say people left the station or asked to be reassigned due to the behavior of Lewis.
One source says that corporate HR had come to town a couple of times to talk about the issue., but little was done.
It appears that the way management did deal with the issue was let Lewis leave before her scheduled exit date.
Lewis is headed to Tegna's KING in Seattle. One staffer emailed FTVLive and had this advice for the staff at KING, "KING5, be on alert. You're about to get a storm of epic proportion
These are very concerning developments. I hope the allegations laid out here are not accurate, but given FTVLive's track record for stories like this, I fear they are. I've always liked Parella, and have been looking forward to her return to Seattle, but this could change all of that.
ReplyDeleteIt makes you wonder about the reports that ftv Live doesn't report.
ReplyDeleteIt does, but for a one person operation, he manages to cover quite a bit.
DeleteHad station leadership done their research, they likely would not have hired her - this is not her first tour of duty at KING.
ReplyDeleteShe worked at KING in the past? I only remember her from Fox 13.
DeleteSo much for the KING ND’s “no jerks need apply” policy.
ReplyDeleteI believe she freelanced at KING, but don't remember when or for how long.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I’ve gathered (based on a 2009 feature in The SunBreak), Lewis is originally from Mississippi, where she began her career in radio while still in college. At the time, her goal was to pursue a career in law enforcement. She attended THE police academy, graduated and became a reserve officer with the Lafayette Police Department. She had already shown a strong interest in undercover work. Early in her law enforcement stint, she even requested and completed a tour posing as a working girl, much like those seen along Aurora Avenue.
ReplyDeleteHer on-camera career began somewhat unexpectedly when she appeared in a local telethon and transitioned from badge and uniform to weather graphics and forecasting. That path took her from Little Rock to Indianapolis before she landed in Seattle, doing weekend weather at FOX 13 and Chief Meteorologist Walter Kelley’s #2.
According to my own sources, she got married around 2014 or 2015, but tragically, her husband passed away in 2019—a few years after she had left FOX 13 (whether by contract non-renewal or personal choice remains unclear). She briefly freelanced at KING before moving to WYFF in South Carolina, where she handled weekend weather duties.
Now, she's returned to Seattle—this time as Chief Meteorologist. It remains to be seen whether KING will tap into her law enforcement background and allow her to contribute to Unsolved Northwest, much like her previous role on Washington’s Most Wanted at FOX 13.
As for her personality, the industry is no stranger to strong egos—anyone who has worked in media, whether as an intern or an employee, knows that. So while some may see her demeanor as abrasive or even bullying, it’s not entirely unexpected. Personally, I take FTVLive with a grain of salt, as their reporting often leans toward the sensational.
Regardless, I wish Lewis the best in this next chapter. Cheers!
Love it! Tired of all the snowflakes here in Seattle! Go Parella.
ReplyDeleteFailing to yield some time in front of the green screen is hardly a virtue. If it’s true, she needs to grow up and be a team player. If it’s not, the same is true of the mud slinger.
ReplyDeletePretty sure hogging the weather wall IS a snowflake HOF move.
ReplyDelete