The Saint Paul Pioneer Press’ new owner is sueing its former publisher, Par Ridder:

[the suit accuses] …Ridder and others of stealing sensitive information as they left for new jobs at the rival Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis.

The sweeping 46-page lawsuit takes aim at the Star Tribune and its new owner, Avista Capital Partners, as well as Ridder and two other former Pioneer Press employees who left the paper with him. It claims, among other things, Ridder committed fraud and civil theft, and disclosed trade secrets.

Suffice to say MediaNews – which bought the PiPress after a series of sales that included former Strib owner McClatchy – isn’t happy:

The lawsuit, filed in Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul:

 

Asks that Ridder and the two other former Pioneer Press employees not be allowed to work at the Star Tribune for a year. 

Claims all three are violating non-compete clauses that they had at the Pioneer Press. 

Asks that the computer data they took with them not be used, and that a computer expert be allowed to inspect the defendant’s computers and destroy files containing Pioneer Press data.In a statement released by the Star Tribune, Chris Harte, the newspaper’s chairman, said “we will address these matters point by point in our legal response to the complaint and look forward to a full resolution.”

Harte said Ridder “has been discussing these matters in good faith with the Pioneer Press,” but that the lawsuit made further comment inappropriate.

Calls to Ridder and the others named in the lawsuit were not returned.

Dean Singleton, CEO of MediaNews Group Inc., which controls the Pioneer Press, had sharp words for the Star Tribune when he met with newsroom employees Thursday. Singleton said he was incensed by Ridder’s actions.

“In Par’s world, he could get away with anything because Daddy would always take care of him,” Singleton said.

Ridder’s father is P. Anthony “Tony” Ridder, former CEO of the dismantled Knight Ridder newspaper chain. Ridder’s family bought the Pioneer Press in the 1920s, and the company later became Knight Ridder Inc., one of the nation’s largest newspaper operations. Knight Ridder was sold last year to the McClatchy Co., which then owned the Star Tribune. McClatchy quickly sold the Pioneer Press and several other Knight Ridder papers.

 The Strib also covers the story (in the business section), and provides a link to the current filings (PDF alert).

This entry was posted by by Mitch Berg on Friday, April 13th, 2007 at 10:12 am and is filed under Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.