A looming legal battle between a journalist and Seven is escalating, with the broadcaster accused of using “scare tactics” to try to get the former employee to drop her case.
Amelia Saw, who worked on Seven’s Spotlight, claims she endured a “hostile work environment” on the TV show in an explosive statement of claim she filed in the Federal Court in September.
She alleges that an international work trip involving explicit emails, text messages and witness statements is at the heart of her complaints.
And while Seven has demanded a media silence regarding Saw’s explosive allegations, the network has also made it clear that it won’t go down without a fight, as insiders claim its case could open the floodgates for more.
The troubled network is understood to have sent legal letters warning Saw about taking legal action.
“They have made it clear that if she continues with her case they will not stop and things she wants to keep private will be made public,” a source told Daily Mail Australia.
“Of course, for her it is very stressful and a real battle between David and Goliath.”
Undeterred by “empty threats”, Saw is understood to be more determined than ever to hold Seven accountable.
Former journalist and single mother Amelia Saw does not back down against Seven
But while Seven initially claimed it wanted to go straight to court to begin the legal battle, skipping mediation entirely, it then made the surprise decision to apply for a suppression at the last hour, adding to Saw’s mounting legal costs.
“They are being an absolute nightmare and are trying every trick they can to delay this while the costs pile up,” the source said.
“So far, his fees would be around $100,000. “It’s a huge amount of money for the average person, let alone a single mother.”
As the Saw case closely followed the ABC’s Four Corners investigation in which more than 200 people were interviewed about the toxic culture, bullying and sexism within the Seven Network, media experts say they are now using as an example.
“If Amelia wins, this could open the floodgates for others,” the source said.
“And that’s the last thing they need after all the bad publicity.”
Robert Ovadia believed Seven was trying to scare him
Taylor Auerbach, who worked alongside Saw on Spotlight, received a six-figure payout from the network after claiming she was a victim of harassment and sustained anti-Semitism.
Sydney journalist Robert Ovadia abruptly dropped legal action against Seven following allegations of inappropriate conduct, just a month after he took the network to court in September.
In a post on his Instagram account, Ovadia accused the ‘Seven Propaganda Unit’ of having ‘the intention to scare me away from the court’.
Ovadia also said ABC’s Four Corners program “got one thing right: the Seven Network is diabolical”.
However, former Seven employee Taylor Auerbach, who worked alongside Saw, received a six-figure payout from Seven after claiming she was the victim of harassment and sustained anti-Semitism.
The payout came after he alleged in court that he had wooed former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann with sex workers, drugs and fancy meals to get him to sign with the network.
Auerbach also received a positive reference from Seven’s director of news and public affairs, Craig McPherson, who praised her “creative talent” and “diligence”, as well as a $150,000 payout.