World Courant
A producer on CBS’s 60 Minutes is suing the community for firing her after she was accused of harassment whereas turning a blind eye to “way more egregious misconduct” by male staff.
The producer, Alexandra Poolos, says in a gender discrimination lawsuit filed in opposition to CBS on Tuesday in New York federal courtroom that the corporate terminated her in violation of civil rights legal guidelines after she was falsely accused of bullying an affiliate producer she supervised. She factors to discrepancies in how her firing was dealt with against a number of male producers and editors of this system who’ve allegedly been the topic of assorted complaints for sexual harassment.
Based on the criticism, “sexism and misogyny outlined the office” on the community. She cites sexual misconduct and harassment claims in opposition to former CBS chairman Leslie Moonves, ex-network anchor Charlie Rose and former 60 Minutes government producer Don Hewitt, in addition to a number of different present producers on this system.
Poolos was let go with out severance final yr after an affiliate producer she supervised reported her for being a “bully” who didn’t “respect boundaries,” the lawsuit says. In a memo, CBS said it terminated her for harassment, discussing the complaining worker’s complaints with others and never being truthful, in keeping with the criticism.
Poolos argues CBS utilized uneven requirements to fireplace her, in comparison with male staff. She says that the community initiated a “bogus investigation,” failing to stick to nondiscrimination insurance policies that require CBS to incorporate a evaluate of all proof collected.
“Poolos just isn’t conscious of CBS firing male 60 Minutes staff based mostly on a single criticism from a subordinate about conduct that was not alleged to represent illegal discrimination or retaliation,” states the criticism. “In distinction with its harsh remedy of Poolos, CBS has declined to take any significant disciplinary motion in response to critical allegations of misconduct in opposition to male staff.”
Within the lawsuit, Poolos factors to a number of present and former staff of this system whose alleged sexual misconduct and harassment went unaddressed by the community. She alleges that her ex-supervisor “emotionally abused and sexually harassed her for years” and that the community “discouraged (her) from elevating complaints.”
Among the many folks that Poolos mentions is former CBS Information president Neeraj Khemlani, who stepped down from his place in August overseeing flagship packages comparable to CBS Night Information and 60 Minutes. She claims he was the topic of quite a few complaints for discrimination in opposition to ladies and staff of shade however that the community “gave him a number of possibilities” to handle his conduct as an alternative of firing him.
“Regardless of the numerous complaints about his abusive conduct from CBS staff, notably ladies and other people of shade, Khemlani has confronted no significant penalties for his abusive conduct and stays related to CBS,” the criticism states.
Poolos claims gender discrimination, retaliation and breach of contract. She seeks an order requiring CBS to undertake or strengthen anti-discrimination insurance policies, in addition to punitive damages.
CBS declined to remark, citing a coverage on pending litigation.
New York’s prime prosecutor introduced final yr a $30.5 million settlement with CBS and Moonves for deceptive the corporate’s traders about his misconduct and concealing sexual assault allegations in opposition to him. Moonves resigned in 2018 within the wake of public accusations by a gaggle of girls.
