Listed Under ‘Reptiles,’ Lawyer Sues
A Fullerton attorney has filed a libel lawsuit against a yellow-pages directory company alleging that she was erroneously listed under “Reptiles.”
Linda K. Ross states in her suit that the error has become fodder for jokes in newspapers, on TV shows and for comedians like Jay Leno.
Ross, who is seeking $100,000 in damages, says the error has held her up to disrespect and contempt as an attorney “who must maintain the character and image of a person of seriousness, dignity, intelligence and professionalism.”
“She is subject to a great many joke and hostile phone calls, hissing sounds as she walks by and other forms of ridicule,” according to the document, filed Thursday in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.
The lawsuit states that GTE Directories Sales Corp. published at least one yellow-pages directory last year that listed Ross under the wrong heading.
“The listing category was false,” the lawsuit states. “The truth is that [Ross] is a woman attorney of dignity, competence and good character.” The ‘Reptile’ listing has held her up “to local and international disrepute,” the document says.
Neither Ross nor her attorney, Ralph Evans, could be reached for comment Monday.
GTE officials also could not be reached for comment, and court documents Monday did not yet list the company’s attorneys in the case.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
