After being brutally attacked in St. Maarten last year, CBS producer Dick Jefferson lost his job — for speaking out about the ordeal, claims his new $50 million sexual harassment lawsuit against the network, relays Queerty. As you'll recall, Jefferson and fellow CBS staffer Ryan Smith were beaten to within an inch of their lives, as Smith exclusively told Queerty. It was only after they used their clout as media professionals did their story receive any attention, and their alleged attackers apprehended and prosecuted.

Now, as blogger Kenneth In the 212 reports, CBS is said to have attempted to silence Jefferson, with CBS News senior VP Linda Mason "began issuing a series of orders to control his public comments about his personal vacation nightmare. Jefferson says senior CBS News executives had decided that because of its 'sensitive nature,' the assault was too 'controversial.'"

Continues reports">KIT212:

Jefferson says he complied with all the orders, but eventually complained asking Mason — who is the News Division's executive in charge of enforcing the company's anti-discrimination policies — if she would do the same thing if an African American employee had been attacked, or a woman raped. Jefferson says Mason exploded in anger, "Are you accusing me of discrimination?" Shoving her chair away from the desk, Jefferson says she quickly spun back, and sternly reminded him that she "makes the rules here" and that it was her job to "protect CBS News." Jefferson says Mason's rules included controlling what he wrote in his e-mail messages from his personal account, requiring him to ask for permission to testify in open court against his attackers (they were eventually caught and convicted) and banning him from having contact with his friend and colleague, Ryan Smith, who was still hospitalized from the attack, or his family.

When he first complained about the corporate interference in his personal life, Jefferson says Mason warned him that she could force him to take a leave of absence — which would cause him to lose not only pay but critical health care insurance — if he continued to pursue his "gay rights" cause. After his complaint of discrimination, Jefferson says Mason embarked on a retaliation campaign. Within weeks, she attempted to terminate his contract. Failing her first attempt, he says she began a fishing expedition, and built a fraudulent case against him, placed him on probation and then ultimately fired him.

In the meantime, CBS News' Sandy Genelius released this statement:

The complaint that a press release from Dick Jefferson states he will file on Monday (25) is unequivocally baseless. Mr. Jefferson was terminated at the conclusion of his employment agreement due to legitimate issues with his performance that had been previously discussed with him. His allegations that Linda Mason discriminated against him could not be further from the truth. This complaint reveals a stunningly selective recall of the “facts,” both real and imagined, including omission of the extraordinary lengths to which CBS News and, specifically, Ms. Mason, went to airlift him to safety and better medical treatment–at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars paid for by the Company–after the attack, which Mr. Jefferson suffered while on a personal vacation. Additionally, contrary to Mr. Jefferson’s claims, CBS News also supported Mr. Jefferson’s right to discuss the attack publicly and to seek justice, which he clearly did. CBS policy forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the company regularly educates its workforce about complying with that and other employment policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment. We will vigorously and aggressively defend ourselves against Mr. Jefferson’s unwarranted complaint and his regrettably vicious and unconscionable attack on Ms. Mason’s character.

Hey, Gil Schwartz? Please do tell us how you're gonna this one.