Derek Daly files $25M suit against WISH-TV over Bob Lamey racial slur
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| Derek Daly |
Today, Thursday February 7th, attorney Tim Stoesz, filed a $25M lawsuit against Nexstar Media Group and WISH-TV on behalf of his client, Derek Daly.
The complain details that:
– As a result of the false and defamatory statements of Defendants, Plaintiff Derek Daly suffered damages to his reputation and loss of income.
– Plaintiff Derek Daly was injured as both a direct and proximate result of the conduct of all of the named Defendants and is entitled to compensation for his injuries.
– Plaintiffs seek monetary damages against the Defendants, collectively and severally for each cause of action.
– Plaintiff further seeks an award of punitive damages for Defendant’s willful and wanton conduct in damaging Plaintiff in an amount greater than $25 million.
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Background
On Wednesday August 22nd 2018, WISH-TV Indianapolis ran a story on the 10:30pm news broadcast, that made four specific points about the controversy surrounding the sudden retirement of Indianapolis Colts radio announcer, Bob Lamey.
- “Lamey was retelling a story from 35 years ago and in that story, Lamey used a racial slur – WISH- TV has learned that the original story came from racing analyst Derek Daly": THIS IS NOT TRUE – Lamey’s story and racial slur was not from 35 years ago as he thought, His story came from somewhere else, some other time, and he mixed up where he thought he heard it from. He mistakenly attributed the story Derek Daly and WISH-TV was informed by Daly in writing, four hours before their broadcast, that Lamey’s story did NOT come from him.
- It was a story Daly told Lamey during a live radio interview in the early eighties" THIS IS NOT TRUE – Daly was never interviewed by Lamey.
- “We spoke with Daly and he confirmed that he was the source of Lamey’s story" THIS IS NOT TRUE. How could Daly confirm an interview that never happened? He was never even asked by WISH if he was the source of Lamey’s story.
- Wish TV never had any knowledge of Daly’s interview with Lamey and in light of the news, WISH-TV is severing ties with Derek Daly effectively, immediately" How could they have knowledge of an interview that never happened?
Daly quotes: “This story was a result of poor management within WISH-TV jumping to conclusions. They heard a rumor that a competing station, WTHR Ch 13 Indianapolis, was working on a potential additional story that linked Daly to the Bob Lamey controversy. WISH TV was so scared that somehow their racing analyst might be linked, and they might be beaten to the blazing headline, they jumped to a false conclusion".
“WISH-TV management, knew four hours before their broadcast, that Daly was NOT the source of Lamey’s story and racial slur because he informed them in writing. WISH-TV egregiously jumped to a conclusion without any apparent 3rd party confirmation in a clear violation of journalistic norms.
Within hours, it became apparent from media professionals in the city that the WISH-TV story as reported was factually incorrect. Professional support came from across the globe for Daly with the strongest support of his character coming from the first African American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, Willy T Ribbs. Ribbs and Daly have been close friends for 41 years, and Daly had just returned from Ribbs wedding in Las Vegas, three days before.
Daly is an award winning television journalist who spent 30 years at WISH-TV as their motorsports analyst. He had just celebrated that milestone with live on air celebrations during the month of May at the 2018 Indianapolis 500.
Attorney
Tim Stoesz
Stoesz & Stoesz
211 East Main St.
P.O. Box 365
Westfield, IN 46074
USA
317-867-1524