After Winning Lawsuit Against WNEM-TV5, Emmy-Winning Flint Anchor David Custer Earns Top Broadcasting Honor
As he moves on from a difficult chapter, the journalist joins prestigious Silver Circle
David Custer didn't expect to be back in a room full of Michigan's most respected broadcasters. But two years after WNEM-TV5 pulled the beloved Flint anchor off the air, Custer stood in a ballroom at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit on Feb. 28 as one of the industry's newest Silver Circle honorees, recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for 25 years of distinguished service.
What happened in between is a story of workplace homophobia, a unanimous jury verdict and a legal battle that still isn't over.
Custer, a 12-time regional Emmy Award winner and three-time Edward R. Murrow Award recipient, was one of five Silver Circle inductees at this year's NATAS Michigan honors dinner, alongside Suzanne Boyd, Lori Cook, Huel Perkins and David Young. Tim Staudt received the Gold Circle honor. Custer said that being selected by his peers and hearing that his leadership, mentorship and passion for storytelling were instrumental in the decision spoke directly to his heart.
"This award means a lot to me at a time when so much in my career has changed," Custer told Pride Source. "It's hard to believe I've worked long enough to receive this recognition."
"The accolades have always been nice, but having colleagues across the state talk about my work, lean on me for advice, critiques or ask for guidance with their pursuits in the TV news business — that's what keeps me going," he added.
Veteran investigative journalist and fellow Silver Circle member Jim Kiertzner, who has known Custer for two decades, working alongside him at times as a mentor and coworker, said the timing of the honor carries particular significance.
"The timing of this prestigious honor could not come at a better time for David," Kiertzner said. "Even though he won his lawsuit against WNEM-TV just months ago, the devastation of being fired for speaking out about employee injustice still hurts because his firing is also an injustice, a finding of the unanimous Genesee County jury."
Kiertzner added that the selection was no accident. "David was selected for the Michigan Emmy Silver Circle by a committee of his TV peers. And I can tell you this is not by coincidence, because TV news people in Michigan know what happened to David."
As Pride Source reported last year, Custer's contract at WNEM-TV5 in the Flint–Saginaw–Bay City market was not renewed in July 2024 after nearly 11 years with the station. Former colleagues described a pattern of workplace homophobia during legal proceedings, and in October 2025, a Genesee County jury unanimously found that the station had retaliated against him.
Custer didn't shy away from any of it during his acceptance speech.
"Do you become who you're told to be, or do you remain who you are inside? I chose to fight. Not because it was easy, because it wasn't. Not because it was comfortable, because it wasn't. But because integrity isn't institutional or situational. It's foundational," he said in the speech. Custer also thanked his husband, Dan. "You're my comic relief, my strength, and you lift me up when I'm taking too many punches."
One of the evening's most powerful moments came when fellow inductee Huel Perkins, the retired WJBK-TV anchor, took the stage and thanked Custer for his fight for justice — recognizing his legal battle as one fought on behalf of everyone in the industry. Custer said he had no idea Perkins even knew his name, let alone the details of his court victory. "My cup couldn't be more full," Custer said.
Kiertzner is confident the best is still ahead for Custer. In a video tribute played at the ceremony, he told Custer this is only halftime. "He's a professional, award-winning journalist who has many more great years ahead," Kiertzner said. "David is at home with all of us."
"That verdict wasn't just about me," Custer said. "It was about accountability. It was about dignity in the workplace. It was about reinforcing the idea that no organization, no matter how powerful, is above the principles that it claims to stand for."
Despite the verdict, the legal battle isn't over. WNEM's insurance company has filed an appeal seeking to overturn the decision, while Custer has filed a cross-appeal seeking a new trial that would include evidence the judge excluded — including testimony about workplace discrimination and documentation his attorney, Tom Pabst, says proves Custer was subjected to a fraudulent non-compete agreement after his termination.
"Justice doesn't always move on our timeline," Custer said in his remarks. "But when people stand firm, when they refuse to be intimidated, when they insist on fairness, the arc bends. Decide what you stand for. Decide what's non-negotiable. Because in the end, the most important story you will ever tell is the one that you live."
Custer's career highlight reel and Silver Circle acceptance speech are available on YouTube.
Read More
Lansing's First Leather Pride Contest Aims to Build Community and Break Down Barriers
When Derek James got into the leather scene in 2018, he quickly found a community that felt more authentic than anything he'd experienced before. A former drag [...]
Gay Men, Ketamine and Trauma. A Therapy or a Trap?
This article was originally published by Uncloseted Media.This story was produced with the support of MISTR, a telehealth platform offering free online access [...]
The Homebuying Myths Standing Between You and Your First Set of Keys
You're scrolling through your phone on a Sunday morning, watching another couple on HGTV debate whether they can live without a mudroom, and you're thinking: [...]
Pistons Pride Night Returns With All the Good Vibes (and All-You-Can-Eat Nachos)
When Keivin Lewis attended Pistons Pride Night last year at Little Caesars Arena, it wasn't just the basketball that made an impression. "What stood out to me [...]
We Spoke to 8 Trans Inmates. They Say the Bureau of Prisons Is Illegally Denying Them Care.
This article was originally published by Uncloseted Media.On his first day back in office, President Trump signed Executive Order 14168, which contains several [...]
Strengthening LGBTQ+ Journalism — With Your Help
We've been at this for more than 33 years now — telling the stories of Michigan's LGBTQ+ community through the pages of Between The Lines and on [...]
