Sinclair Sues Talent that Left the Business

Back on April 4th, FTVLive told you that Sinclair had filed a lawsuit against one of their former Reporters. 

Jonathan Beaton was a Reporter at Sinclair owned WPEC in West Palm Beach. He did not enjoy working for Sinclair and he decided he wanted out and left the business to start up his own PR company. 

Sinclair sued him for leaving. 

The suit, filed in Florida’s Ninth Circuit Court in Orange County, demanded that Beaton pay Sinclair $5,700 for breaching his contract for the WPEC  job, which paid $42,000 annually.

But, he's not the only employee to get sued.

The Palm Beach Post writes that Lauren Hills, another former WPEC reporter, faces a similar lawsuit from the station’s owner. In a lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Sinclair claims she owes it $17,500 for leaving the station in 2016 before her $46,500-a-year contract was up.

Hills lawyer says she has landed a job out of the business working in communications for Florida Power and Light. 

“It pretty onerous for a poor young reporter,” said Miami attorney Patrick Hopple. “She really doesn’t have any ill-will toward Sinclair other than she just wants to get past it. It’s very nerve-wracking for her.”

Sinclair's Scott Livingston didn’t respond to a phone call from The Palm Beach Post for comment about why Sinclair is suing the two former West Palm Beach reporters. Miami attorney Ravi Batta, who is representing Sinclair, also didn’t return a phone call.

Hopple said Hills is hoping to reach an “amicable” settlement with Sinclair. Beaton said he initially embarked on the same course.

He said he initially jumped when the company offered to drop the lawsuit in exchange for $1,700. But, as part of the settlement, they demanded that he never talk about his experiences working with Sinclair.

“I told them to take a jump in the lake,” Beaton said.

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