WFAA8 has a Corona -- as a freelancer for now after she lost previous lawsuit against Houston TV station

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
Wendy Corona, who two years ago lost a $3.2 million wrongful termination suit against a Houston television station, has landed at WFAA8 as a freelancer.

A station representative did not return an email Monday asking for confirmation of Corona's status. But sources at WFAA8 say that for now she is a part-time hire working weekend shifts. Corona had a report on Sunday's 10 p.m. newscast (see video below) on the murder of a 16-year-old Carrollton high school girl.

Corona previously worked for Houston's NBC affiliate, KPRC-TV, but was dropped by the station in 2009. She then filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, misrepresentation and fraud.

But in July 2010, a Harris County judge ruled against Corona and in favor of KPRC-TV, according to a published report in the Houston Chronicle. At the time, an attorney representing one of the KPRC news directors sued by Corona said that a counterclaim against her remained pending before the court.

The Corona lawsuit is interesting in light of WFAA8's experiences with former anchor-reporter Debbie Denmon, who lost a discrimination suit against the Dallas-based ABC affiliate while still employed at the station. In mid-July, WFAA8 declined to renew Denmon's contract and let her go after a 12-year tenure.

Denmon last month took a position as director of communications for the Dallas County District Attorney's office.

WFAA8 has a growing number of holes to fill, with the recent departures of Denmon; early morning reporter Cynthia Vega (now with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport); reporter Craig Civale (now with Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System); and weekend anchor/reporter Casey Norton. The latter anchored Sunday's late night newscast on WFAA8. But as previously reported, he's leaving to take a public relations position with the Dallas-based Weber Shandwick firm.

WFAA8 reporter Marcus Moore, who joined the station in December of last year, is replacing Vega as the principal reporter on Daybreak.

Here is Corona's Sunday night story for WFAA8: