'Plain Dealer' Music Critic Sues After Removal from the Beat

Posted Friday, December 12, 2008 12:00 am

By: THOMAS J. SHEERAN A longtime Cleveland Orchestra reviewer has sued his newspaper and the orchestra over his removal from the beat.

Donald Rosenberg says his reassignment in September at The Plain Dealer resulted from defamation, job interference and age discrimination. The 56-year-old filed the suit Thursday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas. The suit seeks more than $50,000 in damages.

Rosenberg was the paper's orchestra critic for 16 years.

He says the orchestra lobbied to get him removed from the beat because of critical coverage of the conductor. Rosenberg says the paper breached its commitment to independence by caving in to outside pressure.

Editor Susan Goldberg says the paper won't comment on the lawsuit. There was no immediate comment from the orchestra in response to messages.

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'Plain Dealer' Music Critic Sues After Removal from the Beat

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