Reporters hold umbrellas under a 21-foot tall model of the Transformers character Optimus Prime during heavy rain before the world premiere of the film "Transformers: Age of Extinction" in Hong Kong June 19, 2014.
Reporters hold umbrellas under a 21-foot tall model of the Transformers character Optimus Prime during heavy rain before the world premiere of the film "Transformers: Age of Extinction" in Hong Kong June 19, 2014. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

The U.S. State Department did an investigation after a CNN correspondent had been accused of biting a couple of medical worker at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The correspondent was apparently in a drunken rage when she bit the medical workers. Arwa Damon, the senior international correspondent at CNN, is based in Beirut. The U.S. news network now faces a $1-million lawsuit for its correspondent's "seriously intoxicated" behaviour. The correspondent, on the other hand, is facing a separate lawsuit worth $1 million as well.

Arwa was apparently extremely abusive to the medical workers who were on duty at the embassy. She bit two medical workers on their left forearms while she was being attended by them for medical assistance. The incident took place on July 19, which caused the lawsuit against the 36-year-old correspondent as well as her channel.

According to legal papers, Arwa bit Charles Simons and Tracy Lamar who tried helping her. She apparently threatened them that she was a "major reporter" working for CNN." The lawsuit is filed against CNN as the news network is accused of hiring Arwa even though the American network was aware of her "history of becoming intoxicated and then abusive." Arwa apparently has a "penchant for violence even when sober," the lawsuit says.

Lamar claimed that she had been bruised during the alleged attack while Simons said that his elbows and knees had been injured. The U.S. State Department has apparently conducted an investigation on the incident and sent the reports to CNN. The U.S. news network is yet to take an action against Arwa who continues to work for the company. Even if there is any internal action taken against the senior correspondent, it has not been made public. Arwa is considered to be one of the highly respected employees in the company, according to reports.

According to Page Six, Arwa wrote a mail of apology to the U.S. Embassy staff, where she said that she did not completely remember about her "disastrous behaviour" on the occasion. "I am utterly mortified and take full responsibility for my actions, which are inexcusable," she wrote in her email.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au