Two months after he was fired from KAKE, Jared Cerullo has filed a defamation and breach of contract lawsuit against the Wichita ABC affiliate. According to the Wichita Business Journal, Cerullo is seeking more than $75,000 in damages in the suit, which names KAKE parent company Gray Television and news director Michael Sipes.
Cerullo parted ways with the station in June after reporting the defendant in a story he had been covering pleaded guilty to murder. In fact, the defendant pleaded not guilty and waived his right to a hearing, sending the case to trial. Cerullo, who also tweeted the false information, corrected himself later in the newscast, but was terminated a day later for “gross negligence,” according to the defamation suit.
In a statement to the Wichita Business Journal, Cerullo said: “What happened was truly unfortunate for both myself and the good people who work at KAKE. I believe the petition speaks for itself, and I am anxious for a Wichita jury to hear the facts of the case.”