A King County Superior Court judge ruled today that the sealed file of the age, race, and gender discrimination lawsuit against KIRO settled by Susan Hutchison, the former KIRO-TV anchor and current King County Executive candidate, must be opened.

The PI.com has the news . And here's the Seattle Times report . (The Seattle Times is the news organization that originally sued to have the file unsealed.)

UPDATE:

Hutchison's campaign released this statement:

Seven years ago, I challenged a media empire, Cox Broadcasting, the parent company of KIRO TV, to stop age discrimination in my profession. Anyone who has ever considered similar action against a large corporation knows what I was up against. The case was resolved privately in 2005. KIRO TV and the others filed documents under seal, and until recently I was unaware of what they contained.

For the past month, my attorney has worked with the judge in following the court process to unseal the documents. Today the judge made his decision. What is now available to the public is only one viewpoint – the other side’s viewpoint. Because I signed a confidentiality agreement long ago that KIRO and Cox refuse to lift, I am unable to comment on any aspect of this case, nor am I permitted to defend myself, or vouch for the truth of any of this information.  My lips are sealed, even as these documents are unsealed.

My last night on the air at KIRO TV was September 11, 2002 – a stirring day of remembrance for the loss that brought our country together the year before. My TV journalism career had spanned 20 years in King County, covering the news and issues that mattered to the people of this region. I got to know you, just as you got to know me.

And I always believed my professional work provided a public service to our community. Now I am called to another form of public service: elected office. There is no doubt that the hard road I chose in fighting against discrimination so many years ago also prepared me for the rigors of this campaign, and the demands of serving in public life.

I truly believe King County needs a new direction and new leadership, which is why I have chosen to run. And when I’m elected, we will work together to overcome the many challenges we face in the county.

Whether or not these unsealed documents shake your confidence in me, let me offer this final fact: the lead attorney for KIRO TV, the author of these documents, has endorsed my campaign. This attorney, who examined every aspect of my life for three years is now supporting me for King County executive. I think we can finally say “case closed.”

I just got off the phone with KIRO's current lead attorney on the case, Bruce Johnson at Davis Wright Tremaine. He says he has not endorsed Hutchison.

However, Hutchison is likely referring to William Beaver, now with Intelius, who was the lead attorney on the case when it was in play in 2003, 2004, and 2005. I have a call in to Beaver to hear why he's reportedly endorsed Hutchison.

Hutchison's website does not list her endorsements. It simply lists her "Bi-Partisan Supporters "—including her attorney on this case, Jon Rosen.