Conductor James Levine Sues Met Opera Over Sexual Misconduct Ouster

Levine's lawsuit, filed Thursday, claims the opera company used baseless allegations to tarnish him.

Conductor James Levine has sued New York's Metropolitan Opera over a sexual-misconduct investigation that sank his storied career.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday and says the renowned opera company used baseless allegations to tarnish him and then fired him on Monday without so much as a phone call.

The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, accuses the Met of breach of contract and defamation. The suit seeks at least $5.8 million in damages.

The Met says it hasn't yet seen the suit and has no immediate comment.

The Met suspended Levine and began an investigation in December after the New York Post and The New York Times published allegations of sexual misconduct involving three boys decades ago.

Levine said the claims were unfounded. He hasn't been charged with any crime.