EIGHTEENTHJUDICIALCIRCUITIN
AND FORBREVARDCOUNTY,
FLORIDA
LINDASIMONS,
Plarntrff,
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Case No *i-i-t
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SEAWORLDOF FLORIDALLC,SEA -o
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WORLDLLC, SEAWORLDPARKS& '-
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ENTERTAINMENTINC , and SEAWORLD \
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PARKS& ENTERTAINMENT LLC, =6
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Defendants J
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GOMPLAINTAND DEMANDFORJURYTRIAL
JURISDICTION
ANDVENUE
Plarntff,LINDAslMONS,by and throughher undersrgned
counsel,sues
Defendants,
SEAWoRLDLLC,SEAWORLDPARKS& ENTERTATNMENT,
4 DefendantSEAWORLDLLC rs a ForergnCorporatron
authorzed
and dorngbusrnessrn the state of Flonda
2010_cA
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5 Defendant
SEAWORLD
PARKS& ENTERTAINMENT,
tNC rsa
ForetgnCorporatron
authonzedand dorngbusrnessrn the Stateof Florrda
6 DefendantSEAWORLDPARKS& ENTERTATNMENT
LLC rs a
ForetgnCorporatlon
authonzedand dorngbusrnessrn the Stateof Florrda
headquartered
ln OrangeCounty,a Countywhrchrsadlacentto BrevardCounty,
encompassed
by the Ffth DrstrtctDefendants
are powerfulcorporatrons
whrch
are an rntegralpartof the OrangeCountyEconomyPlarntrff
requtresa neutral
BACKGROUND
8 On February16th,2010,Plalntrff
was hrredby Defendantsas the
9 On February24,2010,Defendants'
employee,DawnBrancheau,
10 On February
24,2010,OSHA,a FederalAgency,beganan rn
depthrnvestrgafion
11 Plarntrff
was asstgnedas the harsonbetweenDefendantsand the
OSHArnvestrgatlon
12 Plarntrff
was told by Defendants
to obstructthe lnvestrgatron,
manrpulate
documents,
wlthholddocuments,
makewftnesses
unavarlable,
and
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othertmproprtettes
whtchwere unlawful,whena governmentagencyrsdorngan
rnvestlgatron
13 Plalnttffvotcedher concernswrthmanagement
and refusedto
partrcrpate
rn the rllegalactronswhrchweredemandedby Defendants
14 On or aboutApnl22,2010,Plarntrff
was termrnated,
rn vrolatron
of
OSHArnvestrgatron
15 ln May,2010Plarntfffrledan OSHAretahatron
complarnt
16 In August2010,Plarntrff
frleda requestfor arbtratron
to addressher
program
17 On August23,2010,
an OSHArnvestrgatron
reportfound
Defendants
to haveactedwtthrecklessdrsregard
for humanlrfeand frned
were berngcontemplated
by osHA one by the osHA rnvestrgator,
Laura
pressures,"
the osHA Atlantaoffrceand the osHA washrngtonoffrcegot
medra
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20 on August23,2010,PlarntffappearedrnGoodMornrng
Amerrca,
InsrdeEdrtron,
LarryKrngLrve,and partrcrpated
ln manyotherrntervrews
21 On Augustz(,2010,Plarntrff
alsoappearedon MSNBCand Fox
22 Addrtpnally,Plarntrff
spokewrthmanynewspapersrncrudrng
the
23 ln response,Defendants
set out a masstvefalsePubhcRelatrons
hrma reasonable
fee
COUNTI
DEFAMATORY
SLANDERPERSE AND PERQUOD
26 Platnttffreallegesand tncorporates
paragraphs1 through25 of thrs
27 AfterAugust20, 2010Defendants
madenumerousfalseand
defamatorystatementsconcerntng
Plarntrff
28 The slanderousstatements
were unpnvrleged
and were made
pubhcto thrrdpartresThe thrrdpartresrncludedThe GoodMornrngAmenca
show, LarryKrngLrve,MSNBC,newspapers
fromaroundthe world,and many
others
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29 The slanderousstatementsrnclude
a Ms Srmonsrs extorttngDefendants
b Platnttff
was termlnatedby Defendantsdue to poorperformance
c Ms Stmonsrepeatedly demonstrated an rnabrlrty
to conductherself
to the acceptablestandardsof competence
Ms Srmonsrepeatedly demonstrated an rnabrlrty
to conductherself
wrthtransparency
Ms Srmonsrepeatedly demonstratedan lnabrlrtyto conductherself
wtthrntegnty
Ms Stmonsrepeatedlydemonstrated an rnabrlrtyto conductherself
wrthprofessronahsm
g Ms SrmonsclatmsagarnstDefendants are false
h Ms Srmonshasbroughtuponunfounded charges
I Ms Stmonsaskedfor moneyrn exchangeto not go pubhcwrthher
clarms
31 Defendants'statements
wererntentronal
and mallclousIn the
alternatrve,
theywere neghgent
32 The abovestatements
are defamatory
and/orare suscephble
of a
contempt,rrdrcule,
obloquy,and drsgrace
33 The abovestatements
and therrmeantngsare falseand
Defendants,
at the trmeof makrngthe statements,
knewtheywerefalseor had
senousdoubtsas to therrtruth
34 The abovestatements
are assertrons
of fact,notoptntons
35 As a drrectand proxrmate
resultof the aboveslanderous
statements,
Platntff,LINDASIMONS,hassustarned pecuntary
drrector rndrrect
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lossrncludrng,
but not lrmrtedto, lostearnlngs,lostworkrngtrme,lossof fees,
Addrtpnally,
Plarntff,LINDAslMONS,has sustarned
shame,mentarangursh,
personalhumlhatton,
hurtfeeltngs,mentalsufferrng,
and tn1ury
to reputatron
and
36 Addftronally,
as a resultof the slanderousstatements,
Plarnttff
has
beendamagedThe slanderousstatements
were a drrectattackon Plarntff's
professtonal
characterand standrngAddrtronally,
the slanderousstatements
contatnallegatrons
that Plarntrff
has commrtted
a cnmeof moralturpttude
slanderousstatements
were mademahcrously,
wrllfully,
wantonly,and wrtha
abovestatementswas to rndulgerllwrll,hostrlrty
and to harmthe PlarntrffThe
unlustexpenseof Plarntrff
38 Addtttonally,
Plarntffrsentrtledto rnlunctrve
rehefto prevent
Defendants
from conttnurng
to defamePlarntrff
WHEREFORE
Plarntrff,
LINDASIMONSsuesthe Defendants
for
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ltmttsof thrsCourt,pluscosts,rnterestand all otherdamageswhrch
Jurlsdtcttonal
Plarntrff
may be entrtledto, and demandtrralby lury
COUNTII
DEFAMATORY LIBEL
39 Platntlffreallegesand rncorporates
paragraphs1 through38 of thrs
40 AfterAugust20, 2010Defendantmadenumerousfalseand
defamatoryhbelouswrrttenstatementsconcerntng
Plarntrff
rnwnttenforrn
KrngLrve,MSNBC,newspapers
from aroundthe world,and manyothers
43 The slanderousstatementsrnclude
a Ms Srmonsrs extortrngDefendants
b Platntffwas termtnatedby Defendantsdue to poorperformance
c Ms Stmonsrepeatedly demonstrated an tnabrlrty
to conductherself
to the acceptablestandardsof competence
d Ms Srmonsrepeatedly demonstrated an rnabrlrty
to conductherself
wth transparency
e Ms Stmonsrepeatedly demonstrated an rnabrlrty
to conductherself
wrthrntegrrty
f Ms Stmonsrepeatedly demonstratedan rnabrlrty
to conductherself
wrthprofessronahsm
g Ms SrmonsclarmsagarnstSeaWorldare false
h Ms Srmonshas broughtuponunfounded charges
t Ms Stmonsaskedfor moneyrn exchangeto not go pubhcwrthher
clarms
44 Defendants'statements
were rntentronal
and malrcrousln the
alternatrve,
theywere neglrgent
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45 The abovewnttenstatementsare defamatoryand/orare
susceptrble
of a defamatorymeanlngIn thattheysublectPlarntrff
to hatred,
drstrust,rrdrcule,
obloquy,contempt,and dlsgrace
Defendants,
at the trmeof maktngthe wnttenstatements,knewthey werefalse
o p r n l o ns
48 As a drrectand proxrmate
resultof the abovehbelousstatements,
Platntff,LINDASIMONS,hassustarned pecunlary
drrector rndrrect loss
rncludrng,
but not hmftedto, lostearntngs,lostworkrngtrme,lossof fees,
Addrtronally,
Plarntff,LINDASIMONS,hassustarned
shame,mentalangursh,
personalhumrhatron,
hurtfeehngs,mentalsufferrng,
and rn;uryto reputatron
and
49 Addtttonallyr
as a resultof the ltbelousstatements,
Plarntffhas
beendamagedThe hbelousstatements
were a drrectattackon Plarntlffs
professtonal
characterand standrngAddrtronally,
the hbelousstatementscontaln
allegatrons
that Plarntrff
has commrtted
a cnmeof moralturprtude
Irbelousstatements
were mademahcrously,
wrllfully,
wantonly,and wrtha
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abovestatements
wasto rndulgerllwrll,hostrlrty
andto harmthe PlarntlffThe
pecuntarygarnand furtherance
Defendants' of therrfalsePubhcRelattons
WHEREFOREPlarntrff,
LINDASIMONSsuesthe Defendants
for
tnluncttve
reltef,compensatory
and punrtrve
damagestn excessof the mtntmum
ltmttsof thrsCourt,pluscosts,rnterest,
lunsdtcttonal and all otherdamageswhrch
DEMAND
FORJURYTRIAL
Plarntrff
demands
a Jurytrralon all rssueshererntnableby.lury
DATEDthrs3l st dayof August,2010
ARCADIER& ASSOCIATES,
PA
MaurrceArcadrer,Esqu
Florrda
BarNo 131180
Attorneys
for Plarntrff
2815W NewHavenAve,#304
W Melbourne,Flonda32904
Phone (321)953-5998
Fax (321)953-6075
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