CBS Reporter Ken Lombardi claims that two of his bosses drunkenly groped him during boozy encounters and network didn't do anything about it.
Now he's suing.
Lombardi charges in documents filed in Manhattan Federal Court that at a December 2013 CBS News holiday party, Duane Tollison, a senior producer, grabbed Lombardi’s crotch and kissed his neck.
“I wanted to apologize if anything I did offended you or crossed a line. I like to get a little crazy. If you weren’t offended, then let’s do it again. LOL How is your day so far? :)” Tollison wrote the next day, according to the suit, which also names CBS as a defendant.
During a separate encounter this past May 8, Lombardi says he sought professional advice from “CBS Evening News” director Albert (Chip) Colley.
But instead of a review of Lombardi’s celeb interviews, Colley allegedly got wasted at Hell’s Kitchen bar Hardware and hit on the red-carpet reporter.
Lombardi charges that the news honcho — who has since left the company — texted him links to porn sites, rubbed his leg and kissed him. Colley also gave Lombardi a hard time for his sexuality, documents charge.
“Colley told (Lombardi) that he did not really believe being bisexual was real and told plaintiff that he was actually completely gay,” documents read.
Lombardi says that the newsroom bigwig hounded him for another date.
“He would show up in my office. I’d catch him following me in the hallway, exhibiting predatory behavior,” Lombardi said.
Since the encounter, Lombardi said he has developed signs of posttraumatic stress disorder and has frequent nightmares and panic attacks.
Efforts to report the harassment were not taken seriously by human resources and were instead met with retaliation, he says.
Lombardi singles out Paula Cohen, manager of the CBS News entertainment department, for allegedly tormenting him after his internal complaint went nowhere.
“You know you’re really pissed me off!” Cohen, who is also named in the suit, allegedly yelled at Lombardi.
H/T NY Daily News
