Thursday, March 20, 2014

Sotelo, "El Piolin" Lawsuit Claim Alleging $4.9M Extortion Scheme By Co-workers Dismissed

Eduardo Sotelo, aka, El Piolin

Judge dismissed Sotelo's lawsuit claim against six of his co-workers.

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 20, 2014

Los Angeles, CA - Last week, Los Angeles County Superior Judge Richard A. Stone dismissed Eduardo Sotelo's, 43, aka, El Piolin lawsuit case against six of his co-workers who alleged that he verbally abused them, inappropriately touched them, including another one not named in the lawsuit who accused Sotelo of grabbing his groin. Sotelo had denied the allegations and accused his former co-workers of trying to extort him for $4.9M by conspiring to say that he verbally abused them while they worked at his "El Piolin de la Manana" Univision Spanish language radio program. Sotelo sued Tomas Alejandro Fernández,  Samuel Heredia, and Sergio Vera, Piolin's ex-producers; Gerardo Palencia, ex-delay operator; Domingo Rodrigo Ochoa, Piolin's ex-show manager and Bertha "Betty" Velasco, a reporter and radio personality in an attempt to keep them from further exposing his work related abusive behavior for years. Velasco was dimissed at the end of 2010 after complaining to Univision who was not named in the lawsuit that Sotelo had verbally abused her for years. She also witnessed Sotelo urinating in a bottle inside the production cabin while doing a live radio show. 
Alberto "Beto" Cortez who was not named in the lawsuit had alleged in July that Sotelo "Physically, sexually and emotionally" harassed him for three years and had even grabbed his groin. 
Sotelo has denied that he is gay, but his inappropriate touching of a co-worker's groin has raised questions about his sexual preference.
With judge Stone's decision, the six defendants can now counter sued Sotelo and get him to pay their attorney fees. Sotelo also sued, the defendants attorneys,  Richard A. Clayton and John C. Taylor from the law offices of Taylor and Ring in Los Angeles. 
On July 22, 2013, Sotelo aired his last program from Univision KSCA 101.9 FM radio in Los Angeles. His contract was not renewed due to issues at Univision. Sotelo had issued a statement that both Univision and him had decided to part ways. But soon after, Cortez went public about Sotelo's work related abuse and the co-workers followed. 
In October 2013, Sotelo began transmitting his new Spanish language radio show on SiriusXM satellite radio, after Univision canceled his contract.

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