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Former Reporter Sues NY1 Over Busty Betrayal

A lawsuit claiming a hostile work environment at NY1 makes the station sound more like a frat house and not the scrappy channel New Yorkers know and love! The Post reports that Adele Sammarco claims she was fired after numerous complaints about being harassed. Here's a rundown:

- Former reporter Jeff Simmons (now press secretary for William Thompson) "manipulated a picture of her by adding giant breasts, and the photo was then plastered all over the newsroom."
- Gary Anthony Ramsay, the current weekend anchor, "attacked" Sammarco after driving her home from a party; she said Ramsay "held me down with one hand around my neck, crisscrossed my wrists with one of his hands and put his tongue down my throat"
- "News assistants regularly referred to her by the acronym 'BBB' and later told her the nickname stood for 'Big Butt Booty.'"
- She was secretly taped while she and a technician were "struggling with her stuck skirt zipper moments before she went on the air - making the innocent incident appear lurid and sexual.
The tape was later edited into a bloopers reel that was to be shown to the entire company."
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- Vice President of Programming Steve Paulus had "a dozen news assistants rate who had 'bigger boobs' - Sammarco or another reporter. Sammarco won."
- News Director Peter Landis once asked her to turn around in a dress she had on so he could "get a good look at it," We love that the Post made sure to take a picture of Sammarco with the photograph (we bet it's "exhibit A" in the lawsuit). Sammarco's lawyer says that ever since she filed the lawsuit in 2002, she's been blackballed. NY1 says the lawsuit is without merit and that Sammarco was fired because her work was "not good."

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Comments [rss]

  • guest

    The truth, they're both nutjobs!

    NY1 Management is terrible!

    They let this fester and brew for years and this goes all the way up to the current vp!

    Adele may be a little unbalanced - but that doesn't give anybody the right to abuse her the way management did. If Gary did what he did - then he should suffer the consequences.

    Adele should sue - she's been blackballed by NY1 Management and can't get a job because everyone thinks she's a nut job! If what she says is turns out to be false then shame on her and put her in the funny farm. If it's true - lookout for a major shakeup at NY1!

    Can't wait to see how this plays out.

  • toni

    I'm not surprised if the story is true. I would bet it is. NY1 sucks! The news director should be removed. He's a real jerk for allowing unprofessional and unethical behavior.

    Its supposed to be a professional work environment not a hall of prostitution!

  • Not Neil Rosen

    Adele may be a nutjob, but does that mean she can't be harassed? Can a prostitute be raped? As for GAR -- he may be professional, but I know he nailed MANY college interns at NY1. How professional is that? When it comes to women, I wouldn't put anything past him. BTW, the story is completely true. And no, I am not Adele.

  • el browsay

    I have watched nothing but New York One for years. Nothing else, New York One means everything to me. I am alone in here -

  • Neil Epstein

    Shelley Goldberg - awful. Roger Clarke - crap. Lewis Dodley - shakes his head from side when he speaks...drives me mad. "Tech Beat" reporter (Adam Balkin?) is like a salesman from BestBuy. Defintely a few people there just because of their race, too. Horrid horrid horrid. When I go to London I cannot BELIEVE how much more professional the local news anchors/reporters are.

  • null

    You know. Calm down. You sound like you need a tranquilizer yourself, Fork.

    My point is this: if she's lying GAR has a nice Defamation Of Character lawsuit to file.

    If she's telling the truth...what happens then?

    Does he get fired, fined, What? My bet nothing.

    She's spending alot to get nothing out of this.

    Why do this? Why sue?

    And despite all that, NY 1 management is greatly at FAULT--no matter what.

  • null

    Actually Null IS NOT Adele.

    Nice try.

    See how on top of it you ARE??

    Who's Fork? GAR??

  • Fork1

    OK Adele (since it seems that's who null is)

    First... I don't work there, I haven't for awhile.

    Second...It's a shame you've chosen Litigation over medication or psychiatric evaluation.

    Third...Don't forget YOUR reputation will come out in court too. I already know what the other women of NY1 think of you.

    Fourth...NEVER said NY1 was great.

    Finally...It seems you are still quite ILL. Good luck and remember ONE DAY AT A TIME.

  • null

    the doc'd picture...the name calling was all aceeptable. What a sewer you work in!!!

    Can get better ha???

  • null

    Yeah..Uh ha...

    That all remains to be seen. In court.

    Then you'll see how great NY1 and its management it. And let's not forget your friend.

  • null

    yeah uh ha...

  • Fork1

    Then you don't really know them. He's a pig becuase he's Accused of something from a psycho???

    I guess you want those DUKE boys burned at the stake too even though it seems UH OH It was all a lie!!!

    I guess birds of a feather flock together because that last post sounds Wacked TOO.

    What's funny is that most people in the local TV biz who have been around know both of them. And WE know Adele is a NUT while Ramsey is a pro.

  • null

    Interesting. I know them both too.

    And if you can't get it to work it's because it DOESNT WORK.

    And you're right she's a woman and when women are harrassed it causes stress. She obviously didnt know how to handle things. And because of that may have acted like a wack job. Ramsey maybe funny on a man to man basis but that does not take away the fact that he's seedy and a pig.

  • Fork1

    I worked with both Sammarco and Ramsey in the field. He's a funny, interesting person. She is a depressing Wackjob.

    If I had to choose who I was stuck on an island with.. it would be him. True.. she is a woman but I don;t think I could get it to work.

  • null

    I highly doubt GAR is such a great guy.

  • Upper East

    Wow Now there's a Harsh and totally innaccuarate comment. NY1 may not be the Best TV But Ramsey is FAR from Hard to look at. I saw him on the street with his family and he's HOT. In a real man way... Not some girlyman model Ken doll fake way.

    When he talks He's confident but calm. I'm so sick of the "anchorman" fake hype. Just talk to me.

    Anyway too bad he's caught up in this mess and still at NY1.

  • sam

    I strongly disagree. Ramsey is horrible, Period.

    He's hard to look at as well as listen too. And that's the case for most of those low rate news reporters at NY1.

  • In Play

    Ramsay is the BEST of the bunch. I watch him every morning. I don't why he's still there but he could be anywhere. I rememebr his war coverage a few years back I was suprised to see him there. NY1 is OK a mixed bag of rookies, wanna bies and vets. That Roger Clark now HE's Horrible.

  • toni

    As far as I'm concerned, just about every reporter and anchor stinks in that place. Roma Downey is horrible. I would rather watch Adele that stiff ugly Roma. Gary Anthony

    Ramsey stinks too. But why is he still there?

    Sorry if she's a nut case, the rest are losers too. Big time losers. the channel is awful!

  • too much

    What folks don't know is that Adele is an absolute NUTJOB. This is a 6 year old case. She has been through several lawyers one that asked to be taken off. She SUCKED as an anchor fill-in. Infact she drove the crews so crazy, that when her name popped up on the schedule...They would call in sick. She also constantly complained that Blacks (Ramsay and Wills) were only anchoring because of their race. She hasn't held a steady job since she left NY1. Geez

    Ramsay may have an edge and rub people the wrong way but he is good at what he does and is a professional. Not to mention the countless hours he spends of his own time working for charity.

    He is NOT a defendant is the case but was SMEARED nontheless and of course people believe what they read in the New York Post: defender of Dirty cops, George Bush and the war in Iraq.

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