Listener Sues Stern, IRS, America
“While on the phone with Agent Forsythe, Mrs. Barrigas suddenly began to receive a barrage of text messages and phone calls from unknown callers/individuals,” the complaint states. “The text messages were informing Mrs. Barrigas that her personal information and phone number was being aired live on The Stern Show.” The suit further states, “On May 19, 2015, The IRS, The Stern Show and Howard Stern engaged in reckless and negligent publication of Mrs. Barrigas’ personal identification, tax liability and return information by airing the information publicly [to approximately 1,200,000 listeners] on The Stern Show worldwide.”
The lawsuit also claims that a recording of the phone call in question can still be accessed online, and after what happened, Barrigas claims the “outrageous violation” of her privacy has resulted in difficulty finding employment, anxiety, loss of sleep and irregular eating patterns. Barrigas is suing the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act and for an unlawful disclosure of her tax return and is demanding compensatory and punitive damages. She’s also asserting negligence and an invasion of her privacy against Stern and his show. Needless to say, Agent Forsythe was put on administrative leave. The full complaint is posted online.