In a decision that avoided a “murky” issue of bankruptcy law, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware ruled that a former intern at a Philadelphia news station cannot pursue a $75,000 claim for wrongful termination in Tribune Media Co.'s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

On June 16, U.S. District Judge Gregory M. Sleet of the District of Delaware said that Keith Younge “impliedly” consented to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware when he filed his claim for hostile work environment and wrongful termination against the Tribune Media bankruptcy estate.

Younge, who interned briefly at WPHL-TV in 2008, said race played a role in his firing, after a verbal spat with the station's veteran engineer technician sent both men packing. In 2009, Younge filed his proof of claim, which was treated as a personal injury tort claim, but Delaware Bankruptcy Judge Kevin J. Carey denied the claim last year.