Lawsuit dismissed against Bob Barker
LOS ANGELES(AP) -August 6, 2008 Deborah Curling, a former production assistant, sued Barker, CBS
and production company FremantleMedia North America in October,
claiming she faced retaliation after testifying against Barker in
another wrongful termination lawsuit.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm H. Mackey tentatively
dismissed several claims against Barker on Wednesday, saying he
could not be sued for wrongful termination because he was not her
employer.
Curling's attorney, Nick Alden, can amend the complaint to try
to prove that Barker inflicted emotional distress, but Mackey
dismissed that allegation for now.
Mackey also dismissed several claims lodged by Curling against
FremantleMedia, but will allow Alden another chance to argue they
should be included.
Attorneys for CBS and FremantleMedia declined to comment after
the hearing.
Curling's suit claimed she was in a "pleasant working
environment" during most of the 24 years at "The Price is
Right." She claimed she was demoted after testifying against
Barker in a wrongful termination suit filed by one of the show's
former production assistants.
She had been seeking unspecified damages.
Neither Curling nor Barker was in court Thursday.
Barker retired last year after hosting "The Price is Right"
for 35 years.
