Lawyer: Murdoch could be defendant in NY Post discrimination case

A former editor with Rupert Murdoch's New York Post has sued the paper, claiming that her firing last September resulted from her criticism of the Post's use of a political cartoon that depicted President Obama as a dead chimpanzee. Sandra Guzman's suit also alleges that she experienced a pervasive environment of racist and sexist harassment in the Post's news room.

Guzman's lawyer, Ken Thompson, told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann on Tuesday that his client's charges are well-founded and will be supported by corroborating witnesses. He also suggested that owner Rupert Murdoch may become a target of the suit as well.

When Olbermann noted that "Rupert Murdoch himself is not a defendant in this case," Thompson replied meaningfully, "He's not an individual defendant yet."

"As you know, everything rises and falls on leadership," Thompson explained, pointing out that Post editor-in-chief Col Allen, whom Guzman has charged with harassment, was "brought over from Australia in 2001 and put in as the head of the news room" by Murdoch himself, so "he must have had comfort to believe that his boss ... would find that that was okay."

"Rupert Murdoch is certainly responsible for this racist and sexist environment," Thompson concluded. "So stay tuned about whether he will be able to avoid this lawsuit."

This video is from MSNBC's Countdown, broadcast Nov. 10, 2009.

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