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Four months after he wasabruptly removedas co-host of the Hallmark Channel’s flagship seriesHome & Family,Mark Steineshas filed a lawsuit against the network’s owner Crown Media.
Steines claims that while he “regularly warned and alerted” the network through his representatives that executive producer Woody Fraser “regularly bullied, verbally abused, and harassed cast and crew members,” no action was taken.
Fraser, a veteran of daytime television who helped launchGood Morning America, preemptivelydenied the allegations, which had not been made publicly, in June 2017.
“The law protects witnesses and employees who oppose sexual harassment in their workplace, because we know that victims can rarely win their cases alone. We need male allies like Mark to speak up. Retaliation against those who do is illegal.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, Crown Media said:
“Mark Steines has filed a lawsuit against Crown Media regarding his separation fromHome & Familyearlier this year. The decision to replace Mark Steines was a measured, strategic and difficult decision for Crown Media to make, but was necessary given that the ratings for the show had declined. Further, the results of third party research indicated that Mr. Steines was perceived negatively. There is no merit to the legal claims Mr. Steines is asserting against Crown Media.”
“Crown Media is also surprised that Lisa Bloom is representing Mr. Steines in this matter since she has a consulting agreement with Crown Media. Crown Media is proud of Home & Family and the continued progress we have made in elevating the content and impact of our program. We are excited about the new creative direction for this new season and its potential.”
Steines claims his termination was “conducted in an utterly unprofessional manner intended to personally humiliate” him while “maximizing damage to his professional reputation,” according to the complaint. He is suing for etaliation and wrongful discharge, among other claims.
RELATED VIDEO: Mark Steines Leaves the Hallmark Channel in Sudden Exit fromHome & Family
After he was terminated, a rep for Steines, 54, told PEOPLE that the network gave “some vague reasons regarding ‘creative’ and specifically said it was not for cause.” The rep added that Steines didn’t know when he went to the May 30 taping that it would be his last day.
The network later replaced Steines with Cameron Mathison. The series airs weekdays at 10 a.m. ET.
source: people.com
