Overview
- Samira Said’s lawyers filed paperwork Friday asking a Los Angeles County judge to dismiss Matt Gutman and David Herndon as individual defendants from her wrongful termination lawsuit.
- The dismissal is without prejudice, which lets Said reassert claims against those individuals later if she chooses.
- The court papers require ABC to use reasonable efforts to make the dismissed individuals available for properly noticed depositions and to facilitate trial appearances if they remain within ABC’s control.
- Said’s core claims against ABC News and The Walt Disney Co. remain active and allege that the company denied psychiatrist‑recommended accommodations after trauma exposure, demoted her and fired her in March 2025.
- The case will proceed through discovery and pretrial motions and could shape newsroom practices on mental‑health accommodations, harassment reporting and how employers handle testimony from former employees and on‑air talent.