SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 13, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Shauna Lake, longtime anchor for Sinclair-owned KUTV, has been fired by the station after a second DUI arrest.
KUTV managers announced Lake’s departure in a meeting with newsroom staff Wednesday morning.
Others were notified by e-mail from KUTV news director Mike Garber.
All-
I just wanted you to know that Shauna is no longer with KUTV.
As you are aware, she gave many years to the Salt Lake community and the station.
I know we all wish her good health and happiness moving forward.
Mike
Lake, 49, was arrested at Salt Lake International Airport for suspicion of impaired driving on March 13. It was her second DUI arrest in the last three years.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Third District Court, Lake was allegedly seen acting erratically while waiting in a passenger pick up lane. She was approached by police and ultimately cited for DUI.
Lake had previously been charged with DUI during a 2017 traffic stop on I-15. She pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of impaired driving. She was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $1,460.
KUTV made the decision to give Lake a second chance after her initial arrest. She made a tearful apology at the time and asked Utah news viewers to allow her to regain their trust.
This is really sad to not give her a chance to receive the help she needs. Working as a reporter day in and day out are obviously completely exhausting. She made the right choice by not driving. She served the state of Utah for over 20 years and this is how it ends? Shame on channel 2. I’m going to Fox, they have a clean slate.
How many chances does a offender get? We also don’t know what has been happening behind the scenes at KUTV. Remember, this is the second time she was caught. How many times did she actually drink and drive without getting caught? She’s lucky that she didn’t harm herself or anyone else. There are no excuses this day in age with cabs, ubers, lyfts, friends, trax, etc.
They gave her a chance and kept her on. She just did not take it seriously to get help. She has been arrested twice now for a DUI. I bet she has driven many times drunk, but just did not get caught.
Awhile back my nephew went through a bad time and she wrote nice letter to him. She made a bad choice to bad 2 news didn’t stand by her. But we do. 2 news will never be in our house again. Hello Fox welcome to the family.
Most big companies will let their employees go with one arrest. She has been arrested twice.
You drive every negative story into the ground but feel empathy for a colleague? Great example of ‘unbiased journalism’
She should be in jail.
I don’t agree with her drinking and driving. Obviously she has a problem and she needs help. To fire her I feel is not right. She put in many years as you said, and fortunately no one was hurt when she was driving except herself. Being humiliated as she has been should be punishment enough with out loosing her job. We’re all entitled to our own opinion that is mine
No one was hurt physically, which is good. She has hurt her children and family I would say.
This is so sad she is a wonderful person with a big heart as her job you could have offered her help and stayed by her side
Hey Shauna, I am here hoping that you can get some help. I am three years sober right now. I understand that this public shaming is tough and disgusting. I am here to wish you the best on your path to recovery. It may feel like you are drowning. You can recover from this. You can get sober. I have hope for you. Do not give up on yourself.
Being fired after being arrested is wrong!
In the US, you are presumed innocent until the trial is over.
Suspended while awaiting trial, maybe, but not fired for being accused of something!
She will be greatly missed! I wish her well!
Samuel Hibbert, she had a great opportunity the first time when she was actually driving. A second chance blown would shift accountability to KUTV. P.S. I don’t watch Sinclair News even though they have good personalities, or used to.
While I do wish Ms. Lake a true and honest recovery, I will not miss her liberal, biased reporting, most probably endorsed by KUTV. Both she and Mark K. Turned me sour on channel 2. I will not watch again, unless there is a more neutral platform.
I do wish Ms. Lake well.
Sad for sure! I agree with KUTV’s managers in firing Shauna Lake, which was the right thing to do, as she already received a second chance that many other offenders don’t even get. Now she can seek employment somewhere else and rebuild her life.
So sad to lose a fantastic anchor women too bad that everybody isn’t allowed more than one break. She will be missed dearly for her great sense of humor and happy way of reporting the news. Too sad to loose such a great gal.
There but for the grace of God go I and others let’s not tear down but built up. Hold your hand out and catch me as I fall and please remember when I’m back to my best forget me at my worst. We should remember this with all those dealing with various addictions I never met a strong person without a pasr.
Who can justify driving while impaired?? This is a smart lady and knew the potential risks associated with the law not to mention the potential tragedy if someone else lost their life or was crippled. Laws are put in place to keep us safe. Don’t be overly critical because she was busted for a repeated offense.
YES SHE WAS IMPAIRED, ITS NOT LIKE SHE WAS DRUNK ON T.V. NEWSCAST. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS,THROUGH ALCHOHOL REHAB AND USING UBER OR OTHER TRANSPORTATION TO WORK OR WHERE EVER.
Wouldn’t it be nice if employers were more pro active in getting people the help they the first time . Shawna Lake has served Utah well for many years. Had her employer put her through rehab maybe there wouldn’t have been a second time. I worked for an employer that did just that for co-worker and saved his life. He was so great full as was his family. Passing judgement is wrong because only Shawna knows the full story! She n help!
What a loss for KUTV and it’s viewers. Shauna is a lovely person and a very good news anchor with a pleasing voice and manner of reporting. She has been a real asset to KUTV News.
It seems unlikely the two times she was arrested are the only times she drove impaired. Possible but that would be terrible luck. Why would you let the temptation to drink while you drive be possible? I don’t drink so can’t figure that out. Why wouldn’t you make it so you only had access to alcohol at home?
It can give you a terrible false confidence, even an illusion of invincibility. You may know perfectly well while you are sober it is wrong, but drinking can make you feel on top of world. You can even find the high of alcohol telling you that you are a better driver while buzzed, that you can handle your alcohol better than anyone and have driving down to a science. Never listen to it!
I feel so bad for Shauna! I have enjoyed watching her & Mark K. for years on KUTV News. I hope that she can get the help she needs not just for her sake but for her children’s sake as well. She is extremely talented in the area of journalism & she is a very engaging person as well! She connects very well with people also! I don’t believe her career is over because of this mistake. I pray when she can get her life pulled together she can then focus on her rebuilding her career. I wish her Godspeed!
To all you running over to fox 13 News, you seem to have forgotten Hope Woodside’s disappearance from the 9:00 news. Then the sketchy 1 minute “recorded” goodbye right before her 2 dui’s. Why was it such a hush hush situation?
With Shauna Lake gone from KUTV, KUTV IS not interesting 2 watch anymore. I have switched over 2 channel 5 and sometimes FOX. Found Matt Gepdhart over on channel 5. Matt is another one U should of kept. We all enjoyed Matt’s reporting as well. U should of KEPT both of them. No one can take Shauna’s place n definitely NOT Heidi Hatch can do it. KUTV isn’t appealing 2 me anymore with Shauna gone. U let a true professional go. Wherever Shauna goes she will be an ASSET 2 another team.
Nobody knows why or what ppl are going through.. it is hard to handle things sometimes, we are fighting every day to stay clean and not deal with all the madness we are in .. sober for three years
She fell down but got back up and then fell again. This time, she realized she couldn’t get back up on her own and needed to ask someone to help her. When she truly asks for that help, it will be the first day of her new life. Rigorous honestly will then take over and help her begin to reshape her life and start to reclaim what she willingly gave up before. She will then begin to realize that a power much greater than herself can restore the sanity she has lost. After fighting alcohol for over 20 years, I finally asked for help and got it immediately!
I have now been sober for a little over 31 years, so I know the desire to be sober works
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