WINK News sued Florida meteorologist Matt DeWitt. what to know

Former WINK News meteorologist Matt DeWitt, who was fired in January, is facing a $100,000 lawsuit after the station claims he built a competing weather business while still on the payroll.

Fort Myers Broadcasting Company announced on Monday, March 30, that DeWitt and his new business entity, Weatherview Inc. filed a 60-page lawsuit against The station is seeking more than $100,000 in damages and is asking a judge to halt Davitt’s independent weather operations.

When reached for comment, an attorney representing the Fort Myers Broadcasting Company said, “The case speaks for itself.” The News-Press and the Naples Daily News reached out to DeWitt for comment, but he had not responded as of publication Friday, April 3.

Here are five things you should know about the issue:

1. Was DeWitt’s firing really a “total shock”?

That depends on who you ask. The lawsuit makes clear that WINK strongly disputes the public account of DeWitt’s termination.

DeWitt said he was fired Jan. 8 without warning. The complaint lays out a different timeline, however, pointing to internal discipline in the months leading up to his termination.

In a memo included in the filing, General Manager Jamie Ricks wrote, “Mr. DeWitt publicly described his firing as a ‘complete shock.’

The lawsuit also details a three-day unpaid suspension from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5, 2025. WINK says the suspension followed a meeting with station management in October 2025 to outline conduct and scheduling expectations.

According to the lawsuit, WINK documented a pattern of attendance issues, including late arrivals, leaving before the end of newscasts and extended breaks, including concerns about communications outside of his scheduled hours. The notice also cited an email exchange with the station leader that management viewed as unprofessional.

The complaint states that DeWitt signed a notice of suspension on Nov. 3 accepting the discipline.

WINK pointed to that suspension, along with a leadership plan released in November 2025, as evidence that Davitt was warned before his termination.

2. Was Davitt building a competitive weather business while at WINK?

WINK alleges that DeWitt was using company resources and developing a separate weather brand while working while also trying to recruit colleagues.

“Davitt’s work to design, develop and build MTW while employed by FMBC constitutes a breach of contract,” the complaint states.

Public records show “Matt the Weatherman Inc.” Incorporated as a Florida corporation on April 9, 2024, DeWitt was listed as president. A federal trademark application for “WEATHERVIEW” was later filed under that entity, covering forecasting, weather news and broadcast products on digital and traditional platforms.

The filings do not independently confirm when the business became active or whether it generated revenue during his time at WINK.

3. What other conduct does the lawsuit allege?

The complaint goes into contract issues and DeWitt’s conduct outside the newsroom.

WINK alleges that “Davitt engaged in gambling activities during work hours” and claims he has a “gambling problem”.

The filing includes a message from a man who claimed to have seen him at a casino in January: “I’m telling you … that wasn’t a hobby! It was like a serious addiction … I literally looked at the woman working and said, ‘Is this what I think it is?’ She said yes…almost every night on her break…I told her they must not be paying her enough at WINK NEWS…but the BMW you’re driving with Penn State behind it might say otherwise…you and I were just in the parking lot next to each other…it was 9pm…maybe add a new hobby. You are a public figure … a loving person … you can do better … children look up to you …”

The suit also alleges that DeWitt acted as an expert witness in the legal case, citing a statement he gave on October 16, 2025. WINK contends that he participated while still working as chief meteorologist, that the outside work violated his employment contract and conflicted with his duties at the station.

Those claims are allegations contained in the lawsuit and have not been independently verified.

4. Publix hurricane guide stress added

According to the complaint, DeWitt received a written warning in May 2025 over a social media post linked to major advertiser Publix.

The warning states, “On May 20, 2025, you made a public post on your personal social media account that cast Publix — one of our station’s major advertisers — in a negative light. The content of the post was highly visible and widely associated with your role as chief meteorologist at WINK. As a result, it unnecessarily negatively impacted our important business relationship with our station.”

The lawsuit alleges that DeWitt did not carry WINK’s hurricane guides in Publix’s Southwest Florida stores. WINK provided a screenshot of the Facebook comments section as proof, with one person commenting, “Someone should fund the Matt DeWitt Weather Hurricane Guide and put it next to the W!nk one at Publix this season.” The screenshot shows Davitt responding to the comment with an image of the Grinch.

The station also cited concerns over DeWitt’s refusal to follow brand standards, accusing him of often using unapproved weather graphics instead of station-approved designs.

5. What is WINK asking the court to do?

The station’s request goes beyond damage.

WINK is asking for a permanent injunction that would require Devitt to “cease competition and remove and/or take down his various social media channels.”

The complaint seeks to recover profits tied to his independent weather efforts.

It further claims that his public comments following Davitt’s firing “caused a great deal of public backlash and even resulted in death threats against representatives of FMBC.”

What happens now?

The case now moves through Lee County’s court system.

Devitt has continued to freely post weather updates since his firing, including rebuilding his social media presence after his Facebook page was temporarily removed and reinstated in February.

Mikenzie Hannon Is a watchdog reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, covering Collier and Lee counties. Contact him at 239-435-3423 or mhannon@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press: Why is Florida meteorologist Matt DeWitt being sued by WINK News?