http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_108171527.html

Apr 18, 2007 2:08 pm US/Pacific
KABC Radio, Morning Show Host Sued By School

(CBS) LOS ANGELES Officials from a Los Angeles charter school are suing KABC-AM (790) and "McIntyre in the Morning" host Doug McIntyre for slander, alleging the school was the target of an on-air, racist campaign that led to a bomb scare.

Academia Semillas Del Pueblo and its principal director of operations, Marcos Aguilar, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. They are seeking unspecified general, compensatory and punitive damages.

"McIntyre implemented a premeditated scheme to bring down the school at all costs because the school educated predominately ... Latino-indigenous children in a non-Western European format," according to the lawsuit.

KABC-AM spokesman Steve Sheldon said the station had no comment on the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, McIntyre began criticizing several aspects of the school last May, including its funding, curriculum, demographics, administrators and educational statistics, all in order to increase his show's ratings.

McIntyre exploited a combination of anti-immigration sentiment and the nation's fear of Islamic terrorists to "create a racist fury against Latino school children, teachers, administrators and staff at the school," according to the lawsuit.

McIntyre's remarks included, "Is this a reconquista school?," "This school is ranked the lowest of the low in the LAUSD and in the state of California" and "Aztecs butchered and ate Spanish invaders. I wonder if they're teaching that at ASDP," according to the lawsuit.

McIntyre also said Aguilar's job was to "keep his school, his madrasa school, open so they can train the next generation of Aztec revolutionaries," according to the lawsuit.

The radio host also used "code words" aimed at a target audience to rile up listeners and create a backlash against the school and Aguilar, the lawsuit stated.

As a result, the school received many threats of violence, including a bomb threat that caused an evacuation of the school and is currently under investigation by the FBI, the lawsuit stated.

Meanwhile, a man who allegedly aimed his car at KABC Radio reporter Sandy Wells as he tried to interview parents and others outside the school is awaiting a May 8 pretrial hearing on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree robbery.

The charges against Ramon Flores, 31, stem from the alleged attack outside the school about 7:30 a.m. last June 1.

The reporter saw a silver sedan speeding straight at him, but he jumped out of the way and was not injured, Los Angeles police Lt. Paul Vernon said previously.

A man then got out of the car and took Wells' audiotape, Vernon said.

Flores could face up to six years in state prison if convicted.