A&E Television Networks is being sued by a man who claims that he was offered the hosting gig for the History Channel pilot "Thingamabob," and then fired after complaining about unsafe working conditions.
In a lawsuit files in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, Jerry Carnett claims that he was gainfully employed on the Steve-O TruTV series "Killer Karaoke" when he was lured by T Group Productions and 1Stave PDPP Inc. — also named as defendants in the lawsuit — to leave the job in order to become the new co-host for the History pilot "Thingamabob." (The lawsuit claims that the previous co-host was replaced because he was too "effeminate" and "gayish" for middle American tastes.)
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According to Carnett, T Group agreed to pay him $4,000 for the pilot. However, he claims he never received the full amount. Even worse, the lawsuit claims, when Carnett warned a builder on the set that he was using a large grinding wheel in an unsafe manner, he was "demoted, his co-hosting duties were taken away and he was placed on two days of leave."
Carnett claims that, when he returned to the show, he used the same grinding wheel that injured the builder, and was "swarmed" by the show's host, co-host and cameramen.
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"As a result, Plaintiff became stressed out and complained about the unsafe environment and the show's cameramen taped the complaint," the lawsuit reads. "Specifically, Plaintiff stated that the cameras swarming an individual using the vary [sic] machine responsible for injuring another builder's hand only days prior was an unsafe practice."
Carnett's lawsuit alleges that he was fired after complaining about the safety issues.
The suit claims that, as a result, Carnett suffers from "emotional distress, humiliation, mental anguish and embarrassment, as well as the manifestation of physical symptoms." Plus, he no longer has the "Killer Karaoke" gig, since he gave it up for the alleged promise of co-hosting "Thingamabob."
Carnett is asking for unspecified damages. A&E had no comment on the lawsuit for TheWrap.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.