Sage Steele recounts high school incident that impacted her ESPN career

Sage Steele shared her story at the Life Surge event in Indianapolis on June 13, detailing a racial incident from 1989 during her senior year at Carmel High School. Steele recalled being confronted by classmates who directed racist taunts toward her, including the N-word. Despite her initial defeat from the principal's dismissal of her account, a supportive teacher encouraged her to stand strong. This experience shaped Steele's resilience, which she later drew upon when departing ESPN due to her opposition to a COVID vaccine mandate. She expressed no regrets about her career at ESPN, despite the manner of its conclusion.

• 12:19 AMYahoo Sports — Sage Steele reveals why she stood up to ESPN. It all started at Carmel High