Rachel Barnhart

[Mark_Giardina]

Well its mid March and Rachel's lawsuit against Channel 8 is supposed to be heard before a judge this month. Anyone know when that court date is, and if it's already taken place?

For those of you not familiar with the case, Rachel filed a lawsuit against Nexstar shortly after losing her job at Channel 8. She is trying to get out of her no-compete clause so that she can attempt to get another TV job in the Rochester or Buffalo market.

<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[tvnewswatcher]

Rachel's case is supposedly heard today, March 15th, in State Supreme Court. Let's hope the Ides of March are in her favor.

 

[tvnewswatcher]

Her case is in front of State Supreme Court Judge Kenneth Fisher.

 

[Kohoutek]

> Her case is in front of State Supreme Court Judge Kenneth
> Fisher.


> Fisher reserved decision.
He has to investigate whether he has jursidiction, or, (because of the way Rachel's contract was worded) the case must go to an arbitrator instead.

He's expected to announce something Friday or Monday.

 

[RipNRead]

> Her case is in front of State Supreme Court Judge Kenneth
> Fisher. Fisher reserved decision.
> He has to investigate whether he has jursidiction, or,
> (because of the way Rachel's contract was worded) the case
> must go to an arbitrator instead.
> He's expected to announce something Friday or Monday.

Here’s hoping that Barnhart wins her case against Channel 8 and that some other Rochester TV station hires her immediately. She is one of the few reporters on local television that actually has creditability.
Speaking of Channel 8 has anyone else noticed that neither a photograph nor biography of Barnhart’s replacement, Jennifer Chu is posted on the station’s website? I find that interesting because it didn’t take WROC that long to post pictures and bios of the four recent hires (Stehlin, Barnas, Chandler and Lando)

 

[tvnewswatcher]

> Here’s hoping that Barnhart wins her case against Channel 8
> and that some other Rochester TV station hires her
> immediately.

Unfortunately, Rachel's case has been sent to arbritration. In an email update she says the judge did not comment on any of the "substantive issues in the case" and that he says "he did not have jurisdiction." She says arbritration could take up to 3 months, maybe longer.

 

[RipNRead]

> Unfortunately, Rachel's case has been sent to arbritration.
> In an email update she says the judge did not comment on any
> of the "substantive issues in the case" and that he says "he
> did not have jurisdiction." She says arbritration could
> take up to 3 months, maybe longer.
>
DAMN!

 

[Mark_Giardina]

> Unfortunately, Rachel's case has been sent to arbritration.
> In an email update she says the judge did not comment on any
> of the "substantive issues in the case" and that he says "he
> did not have jurisdiction." She says arbritration could
> take up to 3 months, maybe longer.
>

It is truly unfortunate for Rachel that her career has to be put on hold for a few more months until this legal matter is resolved.

What is truly ironic is that Rachel could have moved on to another market by now, probably a larger one, and got hired at another station. Instead she wants to remain here in Rochester, her hometown, to make a living in a field that she excels in; only to have her right to work be stifled by an organization that had no desire to keep her employed in the first place.

Channel 8’s management knew from the start that Rachel would never accept a new contract proposal which would have reduced her salary by removing her from anchoring the weekend news. Unlike others who caved in to this “take it or leave it tactic” Rachel stuck to her convictions and has had the courage to fight back through the legal system.

I haven’t watched either Channel 8 or FOX 31 News since Barnhart was let go back in January. And I used to be a supporter of 8’s news, as you can read from previous postings of mine.

I may be just one person not viewing Channel 8 news, but that’s one less person viewing any advertising the station airs at 6 and11pm.

It’s one thing for a TV station to make personnel changes. It’s quite another for the same station to deny a person the right to find gainful employment in the same market.

<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>