A former field producer for ABC News has filed a lawsuit alleging that Matt Gutman, now a chief correspondent at CBS News, created a hostile work environment with inappropriate sexualized remarks during her employment. The lawsuit, filed by Samira Said in Los Angeles Superior Court, names ABC News, its parent company Disney, and former supervisor David Herndon as defendants.
Said, who worked at ABC News' Los Angeles bureau from 2021 to 2025, claims she was subjected to demeaning comments and wrongful termination after being denied medical leave and accommodations. The complaint details two specific incidents involving Gutman.
During one assignment, Said alleges that Gutman initiated a discussion rating the physical appearance of a female correspondent, assigning a numerical score based on her attributes. The lawsuit states that other male colleagues joined in the conversation, continuing to assess the woman's body and looks in Said's presence. When asked for her opinion, Said reportedly declined, deeming the discussion inappropriate.
In a separate incident while covering a movie release press event, Said claims Gutman responded to an argument about leaving the work site with a sexualized insinuation that she had an after-hours date. The suit asserts that these remarks, made in front of coworkers, were degrading and reduced Said's professional judgment to a sexualized stereotype.
Said's lawsuit also accuses ABC News of violating California's Fair Employment and Housing Act by failing to provide accommodations for her medical conditions, ultimately leading to her termination.
While CBS News is not a defendant in this lawsuit, the allegations against Gutman have surfaced following his recent appearances filling in as anchor for the "CBS Evening News."