Son of Daystar founder ousted from the Christian TV network, accused of smear campaign
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A former vice president of the Daystar Television Network has been accused of launching a smear campaign against the company’s leadership after he was fired last week for failing to meet performance improvement goals.
Jonathan Lamb, whose parents Joni and Marcus Lamb founded the Bedford-based Christian television network, posted a video on X and YouTube stating that he and his wife Suzy are no longer at Daystar.
The Lambs did not return messages from the Star-Telegram seeking comment.
“I really felt from the Lord, that even though a lot of wrong had been done to me that I was to stand firm in the position that God had called me to and to not walk away,” Jonathan Lamb said in the video.
A spokesperson from Daystar wrote in an email to the Star-Telegram that Lamb was fired on Nov. 16, a day after the deadline he was given to comply with his performance improvement plan.
Lamb has since engaged in a smear campaign by spreading false allegations against Daystar and its leadership, the spokesperson said.
“Based on a clear and documented pattern, it is clear this smear campaign is the result of Jonathan not being designated as the future President of Daystar following the untimely death of Daystar’s founder, Marcus Lamb,” the statement said.
Marcus Lamb died of COVID-19 in 2021. Lamb launched the Daystar Television Network in Dallas in 1997 and moved it to Bedford 2003. The network has grown to reach over 108 million households in the U.S. and more than 2 billion people worldwide.
The network has more than 100 TV stations and programming from Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen.
The decision was made to terminate Lamb after “prayerful consideration” and a thorough internal review and performance assessment over the past 15 months, including Lamb’s refusal to participate in a third-party mediation to resolve grievances in a biblical and professional manner, according to Daystar.
“Rather than take any steps toward completion of the PIP, it is now clear that Jonathan was instead collaborating with reporters and timed a coordinated release of a misleading campaign to coincide with the end of his six-month probation period,” the statement read.
Daystar also provided Lamb’s performance plan and termination letter to the Star-Telegram.
Lamb received the performance improvement plan in April, when he was removed from his VP position and assigned the job of overseeing the Daystar Cafe and operations. According to the performance review, Lamb had “deficiencies” in several areas that justified immediate termination for cause, which included blackmail, breach of fiduciary responsibilities, and failure to provide adequate leadership and oversight.
The plan also called for Lamb to sign a nondisclosure agreement, a requirement for many executives, Daystar said. Lamb did not sign the agreement, Daystar said.
This story was originally published November 22, 2024 at 5:57 PM.
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