Just a couple months ago, the Plain Dealer reassigned Donald Rosenberg, who had been reviewing the Cleveland Orchestra for 16 years. It wasn't a move that went unnoticed, as a former freelance Zachary Lewis took over in coverage of the orchestra.

Rosenberg makes the accusation in his lawsuit that he was removed from the beat because of his critical coverage of the Orchestra's conductor, Franz Welser-Möst. The lawsuit also says that the orchestra lobbied to get him reassigned and that the Plain Dealer breached its commitment to independence by caving into outside pressure. Another issue of contention for Rosenberg is his age (56). He said that he was discriminated against because of his age.

Rosenburg is seeking more than $50,000 in damages in county court, but stopped short of asking for a return to covering the orchestra.

He was reassigned in September after covering the orchestra for 16 years, causing a stir in the arts community across the nation. While the Music Critics Association of North America called for the paper to reinstate him, others believe the move was long overdue, stating that Rosenberg had been blinded by his hatred of Welser-Möst which came through in his reviews.