‘Defamed’ Anchor Mendte Sues Papers

Former KYW talent claims “inflammatory information”

By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/4/2009 4:00:34 PM EDT

Former KYW Philadelphia anchor Larry Mendte filed a lawsuit late Wednesday against the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News newspapers, reports the Daily News. The lawsuit claims Mendte “suffered harm to his professional and personal reputation” based on stories written by columnists from the two papers.
 
Mendte was fired from the CBS O&O in June 2008 after it was learned that he’d hacked into then anchor partner Alycia Lane’s personal email account. Mendte, who’d had some sort of romantic relationship with Lane, was convicted and did six months of house arrest, which ended Monday.
 
Lane was also fired from the station after various incidents, including an altercation with a New York City police officer.
 
Named in the suit are various columnists and Philadelphia Media Holdings, which owns the papers. An attorney representing the newspapers told the Daily News the papers would “vigorously defend ourselves and our employees.”
 
Mendte’s attorney told the Daily News that “false and inflammatory information” had been written about her client.