War of words continues between Dr. Laura, shop owner

Noaki Schwartz

COSTA MESA -- A spokesman for Dr. Laura Schlessinger said Thursday

there may still be hope for a resolution in her lawsuit against Beach

Access owner Thomas Moore.

Despite Schlessinger’s filing in Orange County Superior Court claiming

$1 million in damages, Allan Mayer said the escalating situation could be

deflated if Moore is “willing to apologize for calling [Schelssinger] a

liar and take responsibility.”

The bitter war of words between the radio personality and the business

owner began nearly two months ago when Schlessinger took her son shopping

at the South Coast Plaza store and saw a copy of Big Brother, a

skateboarding magazine published by Larry Flynt. Flynt also publishes

Hustler magazine. On her nationally syndicated radio show, Schlessinger

said that the magazine was verbally pornographic and unsuitable for

children.

Moore denied that he would put such a magazine in his shop and

demanded that Schlessinger retract her statements, saying the bad

publicity affected his business and hurt his reputation. The exchange

even became fodder for radio shock-jock Howard Stern.

The situation appeared slightly more optimistic at the end of August

when Andy Guilford, Moore’s lawyer, announced his client’s interest in

meeting with Schlessinger to quietly resolve the dispute.

But Moore’s public comments, in which Schlessinger claims he called

her a liar, made an easy resolution impossible, Mayer said.

“Dr. Laura would’ve loved nothing better than to work this out

amicably,” Mayer said.

Guilford said his opinion is that Schlessinger is the one who is

difficult to deal with.

“This bully is at it again,” he said. “She made a defamatory statement

and has turned around and sued the person she has victimized with this

statement.”

Mayer said that Schlessinger plans to donate any kind of monetary

award from the lawsuit to the Dr. Laura Schlessinger Foundation, which is

dedicated to improving the welfare of children.