Former WINK News meteorologist Matt Devitt is facing a $100,000 lawsuit after he was fired in January and the station claims he built a competing weather business while he was salaried.
The Fort Myers broadcaster filed a 60-page lawsuit on Monday, March 30, against DeWitt and his new business entity, WeatherView Inc. The station is seeking more than $100,000 in damages and asking a judge to halt DeWitt’s independent weather business.
When reached for comment, an attorney representing the Fort Myers broadcaster said, “The lawsuit speaks for itself.” The News and the Naples Daily News reached out to DeWitt for comment, but he had not responded as of press time on Friday, April 3.
Here are five things you should know about the lawsuit:
1. Was DeWitt’s firing really a “complete shock”?
It depends on who you ask. The lawsuit makes clear that WINK strongly disputes DeWitt’s public statements about his firing.
DeWitt said he was fired on Jan. 8 without warning. However, the complaint lays out a different timeline pointing to internal discipline in the months leading up to his firing.
In a memo included in the filing, general manager Jamie Ricks wrote: “Mr. Devitt publicly stated that his termination came as a ‘complete shock.’ That characterization is inaccurate. Over the past year, WINK News and Human Resources met with Mr. Devitt multiple times regarding the off-air conduct. He received written warnings, was most recently suspended, and acknowledged in writing that he understood continued violations could result in termination.”
The lawsuit also details a three-day unpaid suspension from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5, 2025. WINK said the suspension follows an October 2025 meeting with station leadership that outlined behavioral and scheduling expectations.
According to the lawsuit, WINK documented a pattern of attendance issues, including arriving late, leaving before the end of newscasts and taking extended breaks, as well as concerns about communicating outside of scheduled times. The notice also cited an email exchange with station leadership that management deemed unprofessional.
DeWitt signed a notice of suspension on Nov. 3, acknowledging the disciplinary action, according to the complaint.
WINK pointed out that this suspension, along with the release of the leadership plan in November 2025, proves that DeWitt received warnings before he was fired.
2. Is Devitt building a competitive weather business during his tenure at WINK?
While employed, DeWitt was developing an independent weather brand, leveraging company resources and trying to recruit colleagues, WINK said.
“Devitt breached the agreement by creating and working on the development and construction of MTW while working for FMBC,” the complaint states.
Public records show “Matt The Weatherman Inc.” was registered as a Florida corporation on April 9, 2024, with DeWitt serving as president. A federal trademark application for “WEATHERVIEW” was later filed under that entity, covering forecasting, weather news and broadcast production on digital and traditional platforms.
The documents do not independently confirm when the business became active or whether it generated revenue during his tenure at WINK.
3. What other conduct does the lawsuit allege?
The complaint goes beyond contract issues and concerns DeWitt’s conduct outside the newsroom.
WINK claimed that “DeWitt engaged in gambling activities during work hours” and claimed that he had a “gambling problem.”
The document includes information from a person who claimed to have met him at a casino in January: “I’m telling you… it was not a hobby! It was like a serious addiction… I literally looked at the lady at work and said, ‘Do I think that’s her?’ She said yes… He did it almost every night on his break… I told her they were at WINK Must not be paying him enough on NEWS…but the BMW you drive with Penn State in the back might say otherwise…you and I are the only ones parked next to each other in the parking lot…it’s 9pm…might want to get a new hobby or addiction. You are a public figure…a person to be cherished…you can do better…kids look up to you…”
The lawsuit also accuses DeWitt of serving as an expert witness in a legal case without approval, citing testimony he allegedly gave on October 16, 2025. WINK claims he was involved in the case while he was chief meteorologist, arguing the outside work violated his employment agreement and conflicted with his duties at the station.
These claims are allegations contained in the lawsuit and have not been independently verified.
4. Publix hurricane guide raises tensions
According to the complaint, Devitt received a written warning in May 2025 due to a social media post involving major advertiser Publix.
The warning states: “On May 20, 2025, you published a public post on your personal social media account that spoke negatively of Publix, one of our weather station’s primary advertisers. The content of the post was highly compelling and broadly related to your role as WINK’s chief meteorologist. As such, it brought unnecessary attention to the weather station and negatively impacted our relationships with important business partners.”
The lawsuit alleges that DeWitt criticized Publix for no longer selling WINK’s hurricane guides at stores in Southwest Florida. WINK provided a screenshot of a Facebook comments section as evidence, in which an individual commented: “Someone should fund a Matt Devitt weather hurricane guide and put it next to the W!nk guide on Publix this season.” The screenshot showed Devitt responding to the comment with an image of the Grinch.
WINK News Screenshots included in the lawsuit show Matt Devitt responding to a Facebook comment about Publix’s hurricane guide with an image of the Grinch.
The network also raised concerns about DeWitt’s refusal to adhere to brand standards, saying he often used unapproved weather graphics instead of designs approved by the network.
5. What is WINK asking the court to do?
The station’s demands go well beyond damages.
WINK is requesting a permanent injunction requiring DeWitt to “cease playing and close and/or delete his various social media channels.”
The complaint also seeks to recover profits related to his independent meteorological work.
It also claims that DeWitt’s public comments following his firing resulted in “public backlash and even death threats against FMBC representatives.”
What happens next?
The case is currently pending in the Lee County court system.
Since DeWitt was fired, he has continued to post weather updates independently, including rebuilding his social media presence after his Facebook page was temporarily deleted and reinstated in February.
Mickenzie Hannon is a supervising reporter for The Courant and the Naples Daily News, covering Collier and Lee counties. Please contact her at 239-435-3423 or mhannon@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared in the Fort Myers News: Why is Florida meteorologist Matt DeWitt being sued by WINK News?
