T.J. Simer is suing his former employer, the LA Times, the Trib, and all affiliated companies. His columns were not full of sweetness and light, and he claims that his firing was caused by the Times’ kissy-kissy relationship with former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Angels owner Arte Moreno. These allegations, together with the paper’s refusal to accommodate his health issues, are fully described in the complaint that he filed this week.
The complaint reads like a primer on California law: The Times has to reasonably accommodate disabled workers, McCourt was not allowed to tortuously interfere with Simer’s contract, and Simer could not be fired for being a whistle-blower.
Simer’s suit highlights that the relationship between papers and advertisers has always been complex. Moreover, Simer and his columns were always sharp; not necessarily airy enough to read over the first cup of coffee. He has a bit of H.L. Mencken in him. In short, this case should be quite interesting to follow if it is not quietly settled by a paper that has had its challenges in the last few years.