KSNV anchor Manteris alleges discrimination

Veteran Las Vegas news anchor Sue Manteris filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday that accuses her employers at KSNV-TV, Channel 3, of discrimination.

"She thought about this very hard," said attorney Gus Flangas, who represents Manteris. "Obviously, it was a difficult decision. The issues presented in this case she felt were very, very important."

According to the complaint, Manteris' contract with the station ends June 10 and has not been renewed. She anchored the 6 p.m. newscast Tuesday after her lawsuit was filed.

Flangas said Manteris, who is promoted by the station as "Anchor Mom," has "been a fixture here in Las Vegas for 20-plus years."

"She's a stand-up individual, and I believe she's one of the best newscasters the state has ever had," the lawyer said.

The complaint specifically targets Bob Stoldal, who became the station's news director in August 2009.

"Shortly after Mr. Stoldal became the news director, whispers and rumors of racism began to circulate," the lawsuit alleges.

Also named as defendants in the case are Valley Broadcasting Company; Sunbelt Communications Company; Southern Nevada Communications Company; Intermountain West Communications Company; Lisa Howfield, vice president and general manager of KSNV-TV; and Douglas Roman Hill, general counsel for the defendant companies. KSNV-TV was formerly known as KVBC-TV.

Howfield and station owner Jim Rogers both declined to comment on the lawsuit. Neither Hill, a Reno attorney, nor Stoldal could be reached. Howfield said Stoldal has been on medical leave.

The lawsuit describes Manteris as Asian and over 40. Her claims include racial, age and gender discrimination. The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of retaliation.

"Since submitting her discrimination complaint to the station, the station has taken measures to reduce Mrs. Manteris's public profile and to effectively end her media career in the Southern Nevada market area," the document alleges.

According to the station's "MyNews3" website, Manteris went to work for Channel 3 in January 1989 as an anchor/reporter and later was promoted to full-time anchor.

"Mrs. Manteris's news broadcasts continue to be rated number one in the market in her time slot to this day," according to her lawsuit.

Manteris signed a four-year contract in June 2007. Under the agreement, according to her lawsuit, she was to work from 3 p.m. to midnight -- hours that would allow her to spend time with her young son.

"Seizing on Mrs. Manteris having a young son, the station had Mrs. Manteris doing a very highly rated series on children and parenting issues, and even promoted her on air and on the station's website as 'Anchor Mom,' " the complaint states.

Since taking over as news director, according to the lawsuit, Stoldal "has made a disproportionate number of personnel changes each strongly indicating a race, age and or gender bias."

"Virtually every anchor personnel decision Mr. Stoldal made has favored the young, the Caucasian, and or the male candidate," the document alleges.

Minority employees expressed to Howfield their concerns that Stoldal was a bigot, according to the lawsuit, but she did nothing to investigate.

"The discrimination practices perpetrated by Mr. Stoldal were insidious in nature and often done under the pretense of economic decision making," the complaint alleges.

According to the lawsuit, Stoldal removed Manteris from the 11 p.m. newscast, then insisted that she work from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. These decisions breached her contract and virtually prevented Manteris from seeing her son all week, according to the lawsuit.

"Incredibly, Mrs. Manteris was being bullied and harassed over her desire to be a mom and provide adequate child care for her young son, while at the same time, she was being promoted on-air as 'Anchor Mom,' and her series franchise was on 'Bullying,'" the complaint alleges.

Manteris spoke to Rogers in September, according to the lawsuit, and he "kept pressuring" her about her age. Later that month, Manteris was removed from the 5 p.m. newscast.

The next day, according to the lawsuit, Stoldal and Howfield informed Manteris that the station was not going to renew her contract.

"Mr. Stoldal's actions in letting Mrs. Manteris go were in conformance with his pattern and practice of discrimination in removing minorities from anchor positions and in removing persons over 40 years of age," the complaint alleges.

The lawsuit also claims Manteris has been paid less than "similarly situated male anchors" throughout the course of her employment, even though her research numbers and ratings were higher, and even though her experience and tenure were greater.

Two Channel 3 staffers, who wanted their names withheld, spoke favorably of Stoldal.

"I'm shocked. I'm stunned," one said. "I've had a completely different experience with Bob Stoldal. I've never heard him make a racist remark. I would categorize him as a good boss. I have not seen any of this."

Another described Stoldal as "racially sensitive."

"I know there are other reporters in the newsroom that think he shades stories based on minority issues," he said. "I've heard that in the past. They were saying he treated minorities differently, but that hasn't been my experience."

A former Channel 3 staffer, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he never witnessed Stoldal engage in discriminatory behavior.

"I got second- and third-hand accounts of different stories that would support those kinds of claims, unfortunately," he said. "But I never witnessed it or experienced it myself."

Stoldal previously worked as vice president of news at KLAS-TV, Channel 8.

Review-Journal writer Steve Bornfeld contributed to this report. Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.