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Citing a “primary” African-American female anchor at a local television station as evidence of newsroom diversity, a KPIX company attorney Thursday dismissed as baseless a racial discrimination lawsuit filed Monday by three employees. 

“We find it disturbing that the plaintiffs who are all currently employed by KPIX’s Channel 5 Eyewitness News have chosen to approach the media before the station,” attorney Dana McClintock said. “Although we have not been served with a complaint, we are confident that their claims, as reported by the press, will prove to be unfounded and the station’s treatment of all three individuals has been, at all times, equitable and fair.” 

McClintock said cases such as the one filed by reporter Lance Evans and photographers Cordetta Spells and Richard Flores are not uncommon at KPIX.  

“What you’re seeing here is people going to the press to try to get those headlines, to try to get some momentum behind their story, try to get a settlement, try to mitigate press damage but we just fight these things in court and we win,” McClintock said, adding that “it happens all the time.”  

Evans could not be reached for comment. But in papers filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, he said he lost promotions, airtime and primetime stories because he is an African-American. The management failed to act on his complaints, he said.  

Evans, who has worked for KPIX since 1997, is currently on paid stress leave, but will return to work Thursday.  

Spells, an African-American, said in court papers that she was paid less than her co-workers and humiliated at the station. The suit alleges that she was fired while on stress leave, but McClintock said Spells is still employed with KPIX.  

A television newsroom employee said Spells is on paid leave.  

The plaintiff said in court papers that she worked at the television station for 16 years.  

Richard Flores, who is still working at KPIX, said in court papers that he was demoted for sympathizing with Evans’ claims. Flores declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

KPIX has two African-American anchorwomen. Barbara Rodgers anchors the afternoon newscast and Dana King anchors the evening newscast.  

The latest statistics from Radio-Television News Directors Association & Foundation indicate an increase in newsroom diversity from previous years. According to a the foundation’s 2001 survey, minorities make up almost one quarter of all television station jobs. African-Americans make up almost 10 percent of jobs in TV news, while Hispanics constitute another 10 percent. Asian-Americans constitute 4 percent, while Native Americans constitute less than 1 percent of the jobs.