Dr. Phil is being sued for allegedly locking employees in a room and 'verbal assault'

Dr. Phil McGraw is being accused of false imprisonment in a lawsuit filed by an ex-employee.

Former "Dr. Phil" show staffer Leah Rothman has filed a lawsuit that claims McGraw called her and 300 other employees into the office, then proceeded to hold them in the locked room with the help of security guards, for the purpose of finding out who was leaking stories to media, according to TMZ.

Rothman alleges that McGraw said he had contacted federal authorities, because the information had crossed state lines. The filing also alleges that the daytime talk host used profanities in the meeting and said, "If you f--k with me, I'll f--k with you."

During the meeting, Rothman said she was "experiencing emotional distress from the verbal assault of Dr. Phil which was magnified by the confined space."

The former staffer also asserts that McGraw and upper management already knew the source of the media leaks, but intended to send a message with the meeting. And Rothman claims she was told by the head of production that McGraw "got joy out of the process and in scaring his employees."

As a result, Rothman says she suffered emotionally after the meeting, and had to quit her job. She says that amounted to "constructive termination."

A spokesperson for the "Dr. Phil" show declined to comment.