PBS says it has found many new witnesses to the sexual misconduct of talk-show host Tavis Smiley, who was suspended in December and later fired.

The network filed papers in Washington, D.C., Superior Court in response to a breach-of-contract lawsuit Smiley filed last month.

PBS says an independent investigation found more witnesses to corroborate initial accounts that Smiley had a pattern of sexual relationships with subordinates, subjected subordinates to unwanted sexual advances — including requests for specific sex acts — and made inappropriate lewd jokes.

PBS says many of the witnesses are women of color, in response to allegations from Smiley, who is black, of racial bias.

Smiley's attorneys said Friday that the filing represents more "lies, half-truths and smears from PBS" that they look forward to exposing in court.