The complaint also goes on for more than four pages about the awards won and charitable works performed by Lane, who grew up on New York's Long Island and earned a master's degree in journalism from a top program at Northwestern University.
It states that Lane, before her firing, "built a reputation as one of the most popular, respected and talented television journalists in the United States."
But the complaint says that Lane's success "came at a high price" and that the station began to exploit its attractive young Latina anchorwoman and her personal life early in her stint, beginning with the "Dr. Phil" appearance.
Much of the 40-page complaint focused on the circumstances surrounding her firing and the statement that was read on the air on Jan. 7, by Mendte, which said in part that "we have concluded that it would be impossible for Alycia to continue to report the news as she, herself, has become the focus of so many news stories."
The suit said the statement made it impossible for her to find new work, even though she was ultimately cleared of charges she assaulted a female cop in a traffic stop that involved her and her disc jockey boyfriend, Chris Booker.
The complaint alleges that after that story first broke last December, Mendte called in co-workers to show off a novelty card with big red lips and words that Lane was alleged to have uttered: "I'm a [expletive] reporter, bitch!"
At least one of the claims in the complaint filed on Lane's behalf is at odds with reporting by the Daily News. She said she never called Gov. Rendell seeking help or advice in the criminal case, but a Rendell spokesman and then the governor himself, in an appearance on radio station WIP, confirmed that such a call took place. *
Daily News columnist Dan Gross contributed to this report.
