Woman Accusing Matt Gutman of ‘Sexualized’ Workplace Comments Files Lawsuit as Attorneys Call for ‘Meaningful Change’

Attorneys representing a former ABC News producer who has accused journalist Matt Gutman of making inappropriate and “sexualized” workplace comments say they hope her lawsuit will lead to broader changes in workplace culture.

Samira Said, a former field producer in ABC News’ Los Angeles bureau, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, August 14, naming several defendants, including ABC, its parent company Disney and Gutman, who worked at ABC News during the period described in the complaint.

Gutman, 48, is now chief correspondent for CBS News.

The lawsuit contains a series of allegations involving workplace harassment, discrimination, retaliation, medical accommodations and Said’s eventual termination from ABC News in 2025. The claims have not been adjudicated in court, and Gutman, ABC and Disney had not publicly responded to PEOPLE’s requests for comment regarding the latest allegations at the time of publication.

In a statement provided exclusively to PEOPLE, Shegerian & Associates, the law firm representing Said, said the circumstances surrounding what it described as her “wrongful termination” constituted serious legal violations that had significant consequences for her personal and professional life.

The attorneys also suggested that the issues described by Said may extend beyond her individual experience.

“While this case centers on Ms. Said’s experience, we have reason to believe that ABC’s conduct was not an isolated incident,” the firm said.

The attorneys praised Said for coming forward and said they hoped the lawsuit would encourage other workers who believe they have experienced similar treatment to speak publicly.

They added that lasting workplace reform depends on employees being able to challenge conduct they believe is discriminatory or unjust.

Said Worked at ABC News From 2021 to 2025

According to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Said worked as a field producer at ABC News’ Los Angeles bureau from May 2021 until March 2025.

Her lawsuit alleges that ABC wrongfully terminated her after she had taken medical leave and requested accommodations connected to her health.

The complaint also accuses Gutman of contributing to what Said describes as a hostile work environment involving alleged sex- and gender-based harassment.

Said claims that Gutman served as her supervisor during her employment with ABC News and that several incidents involving him made her uncomfortable in professional settings.

One of the allegations concerns an assignment during which Said says she was placed on a team consisting entirely of male colleagues, including Gutman and two other crew members.

According to the complaint, while the group was waiting in a public line, Gutman allegedly began discussing the physical appearance of a female correspondent.

The lawsuit alleges that he and the other men evaluated the woman’s appearance and assigned her a numerical rating based on physical characteristics.

Said claims the discussion reduced the female journalist’s professional identity to her looks.

The complaint further alleges that other men in the group participated in the conversation and continued discussing the woman’s body and appearance while Said was present.

According to Said, the men then attempted to involve her by asking her opinion.

She says she declined to participate and told them she considered the discussion inappropriate.

A Second Alleged ‘Sexualized’ Remark

Said’s complaint describes another incident that allegedly occurred during a separate assignment.

She claims that she and Gutman disagreed over whether their team should leave a work location during a press day connected to a movie release.

According to the lawsuit, Gutman allegedly responded to the disagreement in front of several colleagues by suggesting that Said wanted to remain in the city because she had an after-hours date.

Said characterizes the comment as a sexualized insinuation that undermined her professional judgment.

The complaint argues that rather than treating her opinion about the assignment as a legitimate workplace position, the alleged remark portrayed her decision as being motivated by her personal or romantic life.

Said contends that the incident was degrading and contributed to the hostile environment she says she experienced at the network.

Gutman did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment regarding the allegations.

Mental Health Treatment and Requests for Accommodations

The lawsuit also focuses heavily on Said’s health and her interactions with ABC News management.

Said alleges that she began receiving psychiatric treatment for depression in 2021.

According to the complaint, her psychiatrist eventually recommended that she reduce her workload as part of her treatment.

Said claims that rather than properly accommodating her medical needs, the network subjected her to increasing workplace pressure and later retaliated against her.

One of the most serious allegations involves ABC News’ coverage of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting in Texas.

Said claims that she was pressured to participate in coverage of the massacre while she was still experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

The shooting, which took place at Robb Elementary School, involved the deaths of children and teachers and required news crews to report from an intensely traumatic environment.

Said alleges that following the assignment, her psychological condition significantly worsened.

According to the complaint, she experienced severe mental health symptoms and ultimately took medical leave.

Said Says Colleagues Contacted Her During Medical Leave

Even after beginning leave, Said claims she was not fully separated from workplace demands.

The lawsuit alleges that colleagues continued contacting her about work matters while she was supposed to be away from her responsibilities for medical reasons.

She further claims that accommodations recommended by her psychiatrist were subsequently denied.

The complaint portrays these events as part of a broader pattern in which Said says ABC failed to adequately account for her documented health needs.

The situation allegedly continued into January 2025, when Southern California was dealing with destructive wildfires.

Said claims she was assigned to cover the Los Angeles wildfires, despite previously requesting workplace accommodations related to both her physical and psychological health.

Wildfire coverage can require journalists and production crews to work long hours in physically demanding environments while reporting on evacuations, destroyed homes and fatalities.

Said argues that assigning her to the coverage was inconsistent with the restrictions and accommodations she had previously sought.

Termination During What She Says Was Presented as a Routine Meeting

The employment relationship eventually ended in March 2025.

According to the lawsuit, Said was invited to a meeting that she believed would be a routine workplace check-in.

Instead, she claims she was informed during the meeting that her employment was being terminated.

Said alleges that the termination was connected to her medical leave, accommodation requests and other workplace issues raised in the complaint.

Her legal team characterizes the dismissal as unlawful retaliation and wrongful termination.

ABC and Disney had not immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the attorneys’ latest statement.

The companies will have an opportunity to respond formally to the allegations through the legal process.

Attorneys Say the Case Could Have Broader Implications

Although the lawsuit concerns Said’s individual experience, her attorneys have framed the dispute as potentially having broader significance for workplace accountability.

Their statement suggested that they have reason to believe the conduct described by Said may not have been limited to her situation.

However, the attorneys did not provide additional publicly disclosed examples in the statement, and those broader assertions have not been proven in court.

The firm said Said’s decision to bring the lawsuit demonstrates significant courage given the professional risks that can accompany accusations against powerful employers and prominent media figures.

They expressed hope that her actions could encourage other employees to report conduct they believe crosses professional or legal boundaries.

For Said’s attorneys, the case is ultimately about creating a workplace environment in which employees can raise concerns without fearing retaliation.

Matt Gutman reporting in the field in 2024.

What Said Is Seeking in the Lawsuit

Said is requesting a jury trial.

According to the complaint, she is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and additional relief that may be determined through the legal process.

The filing does not identify a specific total damages figure, stating only that the amount sought exceeds $35,000.

The allegations now place multiple issues before the court, including whether Said was subjected to unlawful harassment, whether ABC adequately responded to her medical accommodation requests and whether her eventual termination violated employment law.

They also raise questions about the alleged conduct of Gutman while he was working at ABC News.

At this stage, the claims remain allegations contained in a civil complaint, and no court has determined liability.

Gutman, ABC and Disney will have the opportunity to dispute the allegations and present their own evidence and arguments as the litigation moves forward.

For Said and her legal team, however, the lawsuit represents more than a dispute over how her employment ended.

Her attorneys say they hope the case will encourage greater accountability for workplace conduct and make employees more willing to speak out when they believe they have been treated improperly.

As Shegerian & Associates put it, their objective is not only to address what Said says happened to her, but also to push for what the firm describes as “meaningful change” in the workplace.