Ex-TV News Employee Claims Bedbugs Infested NYC Office

June 2, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - An ex-Manhattan network television news employee has slapped the landlord of the office tower where she worked with a lawsuit alleging she now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from being bitten by bedbugs in her office.

A Reuters news report said Jane Clark sued Beacon Capital Partners, which owns the midtown tower housing Fox News, over complaints she was bitten three times between October 2007 and April 2008 and that her office was not treated for the infestation for several months. Clark also alleged she was ridiculed when she complained.

The experience and the PTSD have kept her from working and have given her nightmares that have driven her to keep a bedside flashlight to allow her to check for bugs during the night, the suit says.

According to Reuters, Beacon Capital said it had never been notified of the problem, but asserted its tenants were responsible for infestations. Clark has also filed a separate workers compensation claim with News Corp, and the company is paying her medical bills and lost wages.

Clark said she believed a former colleague who used her workstation on weekends, and who no longer works for Fox News, brought the infestation to the office.

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