A federal judge reportedly allowed a screenwriter’s lawsuit alleging discriminatory practices by CBS to proceed.
A judge in Los Angeles ruled Wednesday against CBS in its attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a straight, white screenwriter who alleged that the network’s diversity initiatives cost him a staff position on the popular show “SEAL Team,” Reuters reported, citing a court document. U.S. District Judge John Walter reportedly rejected CBS’s defense that the First Amendment safeguards its creative hiring decisions from race and sex bias allegations.
CINCINNATI, OH – NOVEMBER 28: A reporter holds a CBS microphone during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on November 28, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The lawsuit, filed by Brian Beneker, has challenged the network’s alleged diversity hiring practices, according to an America First Legal (AFL) statement. Beneker, who served as a script coordinator and freelance writer for “SEAL Team” throughout its six-season run, alleges that he was repeatedly overlooked for full-time staff positions in favor of nonwhite, female, and LGBTQ writers.
CBS, a subsidiary of Paramount Global, set a goal of having 40% of writers on its primetime series be black, indigenous or people of color during its 2021 to 2022 season, an AFL statement regarding the lawsuit alleges.
“AFL now can engage in extensive discovery to obtain and reveal evidence of CBS’s employment practices, and its alleged discrimination against AFL’s client, and can then use that information to vindicate his rights in court at trial,” the organization wrote in a statement obtained by Reuters.
CBS must face white screenwriter’s lawsuit over diversity policies https://t.co/aIYUxXO6Gl pic.twitter.com/qweW8SByMc
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 15, 2024
This case is part of a broader effort by AFL to combat what it claims are discriminatory DEI initiatives by corporate America. The group has filed multiple lawsuits and complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (RELATED: Judge Suspends California Community Colleges Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Rules)
The case, Beneker v. CBS Studios Inc., will now proceed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
