'Luck' Lawsuit: HBO Responds To Allegations They Aided And Abetted Wrongful Termination Of Barbara Casey

Back in January, Barbara Casey, former Director of Production for the American Humane Association's film and TV division, filed a suit against the AHA, HBO and Stewart Productions for her alleged wrongful termination and their reported attempts to "conceal and cover-up" animal safety violations while filming the short-lived "Luck."

Now, HBO has responded to Casey's claims in court, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The cable network is denying responsibility for any part of Casey's termination, with the paperwork reading, "Because the Production Defendants were not Plaintiff's employer, they cannot be bootstrapped into liability for the allegedly wrongful termination under a theory of 'aiding and abetting' in that termination."

HBO maintains that Casey's case is with AHA, as the company fired her, but according to THR, the papers also observe that Casey has yet to make specific allegations against anyone at HBO who could be held liable (emphasis from the defendants): "The (First Amended Complaint does not allege who at HBO or Stewart allegedly engaged in tortious behavor and what authority those persons had to act on behalf of either of them, what advice HBO or Stewart allegedly provided to the AHA relating to Plaintiff's termination, how HBO or Stewart allegedly 'encouraged' or 'assisted' the AHA in terminating Plaintiff, or what sort of 'moral support' HBO or Stewart allegedly provided to the AHA."

For more on the lawsuit and HBO's response, click over to THR.