A former producer at ABC News, Samira Said, has filed a lawsuit against ABC, its parent company Disney, and CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman. The legal action, initiated in Los Angeles Superior Court, stems from allegations of wrongful termination and inappropriate workplace conduct, which Said claims created a hostile environment during her tenure at ABC News.
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Said’s lawsuit claims that she was unlawfully dismissed in March 2025 following a period of medical leave and requests for workplace accommodations. Her legal representatives, Shegerian & Associates, indicated that the circumstances surrounding her termination reflect serious breaches of the law, causing enduring personal and professional repercussions for Said. They believe her case is not an isolated one, suggesting a troubling pattern of behaviour within the network.
In an exclusive interview, her attorneys expressed hope that Said’s decision to confront these allegations will encourage others who have experienced similar mistreatment to come forward. “Ms. Said’s decision to speak up demonstrates remarkable bravery,” they stated. They emphasised the need for empowering employees to address injustices in the workplace in order to facilitate meaningful change.
The complaint details incidents alleged to have taken place while Said was employed at the ABC News bureau in Los Angeles from May 2021 until her termination. Said claims that Gutman, as her supervisor, contributed to a hostile work environment marked by sexual and gender-based harassment, recalling an incident where he allegedly led a conversation assessing a female colleague’s appearance in a manner she found deeply inappropriate.
When their team was waiting in line during an assignment, Gutman allegedly initiated a conversation where they rated a female correspondent’s looks, reducing her professional worth to a numerical score based on her physical attributes. Said asserts that the other male colleagues present joined in the degrading discussion, attempting to involve her by seeking her opinions, which she declined, stating the conversation was unacceptable.
Another incident recounted in the lawsuit illustrates further inappropriate remarks by Gutman. During a disagreement over work logistics, he allegedly made a sexualised comment implying that Said must have after-hours plans in the city as a reason for not wanting to relocate the team. Such remarks, Said contends, undermined her professional judgement and reinforced damaging stereotypes.
Said also alleges that after seeking psychiatric care for her mental health issues, she faced retaliation at work. Following advice from her psychiatrist to reduce her workload, she claims she was pressured to cover the aftermath of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting despite still contending with COVID-19 symptoms. This chronic stress, she argues, exacerbated her psychological distress and led to her eventual medical leave.
Amid these difficulties, Said maintains that accommodations recommended by her psychiatrist were denied. She was subsequently assigned to cover the demanding Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, despite her previous requests for lighter duties. Ultimately, she alleges she was terminated in what she claims was a misleadingly framed routine check-in meeting.
The lawsuit calls for compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and additional remedies, with a demand for more than £35,000 in damages specified, though no precise figure was laid out in the complaint.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Said’s advocates hope her bold stand will resonate with others in similar situations, encouraging open discussion about workplace harassment and the repercussions of a hostile work environment. Meanwhile, representatives from ABC and Disney have yet to respond to requests for comments regarding the allegations.
The case highlights ongoing discussions about the importance of creating safe and respectful workplaces, as well as the necessity for effective measures that protect employees from harassment and injustice within their professional environments.