AceShowbiz - Penny Perry, a casting director who has worked with Hallmark for nearly a decade, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging age and disability discrimination against Hallmark executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly, Senior Vice President of Programming and Development Randy Pope, and Vice President of Human Resources Paul Hodgkinson.

Perry alleges that Daly told her she was "too long in the tooth" for her job and sought to "push her out of the company" by bringing in younger talent. She claims that Daly specifically mentioned Holly Robinson Peete, 60, and Lacey Chabert, 42, as examples of "old talent" who needed to be replaced, saying, "Lacey's getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older."

Daly allegedly also stated that "no one wants" Robinson Peete because "she's too expensive and getting too old. She can't play leading roles anymore."

Perry further alleges that she was excluded from meetings, had her office moved to a different floor, and had her casting responsibilities given to an outside consultant. Additionally, she claims that the studio did not accommodate her multiple sclerosis and one-eye blindness.

Hallmark has denied the allegations, stating that "Lacey and Holly have a home at Hallmark" and that the company will not discuss employment relationships in the media.

Perry's lawsuit includes charges of wrongful termination, age and disability discrimination, defamation, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking a jury trial.