KLKN Sues Former Reporter for Breach of Contract

By Kevin Eck 

KLKN, the Lincoln, NE ABC affiliate, filed suit Monday against former reporter Melina Matthes saying she broke her contract to take a job in Omaha, reports the Lincoln Journal Star.

Matthes left KLKN in September for Omaha’s FOX affiliate, KPTM.  The Journal Star reports Citadel Communications, which owns KLKN, is looking for $55,000 in damages.  According to the article, that sum works out to, “nearly twice the annual salary KLKN paid Matthes — plus attorneys’ costs.”

Matthes began working for KLKN as a news intern and worked her way up to weekend producer and reporter before leaving for the Omaha station.

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Her departure left KLKN without an experienced weekend producer and manager during the Nebraska football season, creating problems for pre- and post-game coverage, the lawsuit says, and it negatively affected staff morale and overall operations.

According to the Journal Star, Matthes posted her thoughts about KLKN to her facebook wall,

“I have never been treated so poorly by management in a professional work environment,” she said of her former bosses in the post. “I am excited to put those bullies behind me and start a thrilling new chapter in my life.”

KLKN general manager Roger Moody told the Journal Star, “I think most people understand it is a business matter. It’s not a personal matter.”

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