Montel Again Sued for Sexual Harassment

Male plaintiff is the fifth to file suit against talk-show host

Syndicated talk-show host Montel Williams has inspired a lot people over the years. After all, the former naval intelligence officer has built a national reputation as a motivational speaker who excels at reaching out to everyone from inner-city youths to fat ladies lacking the spiritual wherewithal to find their remote controls. He even penned a peppy book on the subject: Mountain, Get Out of My Way.

Well, New Jersey attorney W. Randolph Kraft is one guy who has been particularly inspired by Williams. So fired up, he has filed a sexual harassment suit against Williams for the fifth time in the last two years.

This time, it's on behalf of a former male employee named Ernesto Medina--an admitted homosexual who claims Williams made fun of him for being gay, gave him embarrassing "sex toys" and grabbed his butt. Medina was Williams' executive assistant for seven months from 1994 to '95.

Kraft also filed federal lawsuits against Williams last year on behalf of four former female employees. However, two of those cases were dropped and the other two were tossed out by the judge. Those women claimed the bald daytime talker subjected them to unwanted groping and sexual verbiage.

Williams' publicist, Sean Cassidy, told the Associated Press that Williams "vehemently denied" the charges, suggesting that Kraft is just fishing for Montel's money.