Paramount, Cbs Scrap Dei Initiatives After Lawsuit Settlement

[Kennedy Felton]

A LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY A FORMER C-B-S WRITER HAS BOTH C-B-S STUDIOS AND ITS PARENT COMPANY – PARAMOUNT GLOBAL – MAKING CHANGES.

THE CASE CHALLENGED HOW DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WERE BEING APPLIED BEHIND THE SCENES… AND NOW – BOTH COMPANIES ARE UPDATING THEIR HIRING PRACTICES.

BRIAN BENEKER FILED THE LAWSUIT LAST FEBRUARY… CLAIMING HE WAS DENIED A WRITING JOB FOR “SEAL TEAM” BECAUSE HE IS A HETEROSEXUAL WHITE MAN.

BENEKER – A FREELANCER WHO HAD BEEN WRITING FOR “SEAL TEAM’ SINCE 20-17 – SAID HE WAS DENIED A STAFF WRITER POSITION MORE THAN ONCE. 

HE CLAIMED HE WAS PASSED OVER FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO LACKED SCREENWRITING CREDITS AND EXPERIENCE… AND NOTICED THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE HIRED WERE NONWHITE… LGBTQ-PLUS… OR FEMALE.

IN 20-20… C-B-S ANNOUNCED ITS REALITY SHOWS WOULD HAVE CASTS WITH AT LEAST 50 PERCENT BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR CONTESTANTS STARTING WITH THE 20-21 SEASON.

America First Legal, which represented Beneker, said a akin 50% quota was besides group for writers’ rooms by nan 2022–2023 season. Beneker based on that nan argumentation violated employment laws.

BUT THE JUDGE DENIED THAT MOTION… SAYING “the tribunal concludes that nan issues raised by suspect are much appropriately resolved connected a mobility for summary judgment””  RATHER THAN ORAL ARGUMENTS.

THE TWO PARTIES REACHED A SETTLEMENT IN APRIL… WITH PARAMOUNT AND C-B-S AGREEING TO END CERTAIN D-E-I PRACTICES.

ACCORDING TO A-F-L… THE CHANGES INCLUDE –

TITLE: TERMS OF CBS, PARAMOUNT SETTLEMENT FOLLOWING AFL LAWSUIT 

• End numerical goals related to race, ethnicity, sex, aliases gender.
• Stop collecting demographic information connected applicants.
• Remove a 5 percent backing prize for programs advancing DEI goals.

PARAMOUNT HAD PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED EMPLOYEES IN FEBRUARY THAT IT WAS WINDING DOWN ITS D-E-I POLICIES… ACCORDING TO A MEMO OBTAINED BY C-N-B-C.

“America First Legal is pleased to spot Paramount and CBS publically backmost disconnected their DEI requirements and return to merit-based considerations. Diversity quotas that discriminate connected nan ground of title are unlawful. Others successful nan intermezo manufacture should return note.”

Nick Barry | America First Legal Senior Counsel

A-F-L SENIOR COUNSEL NICK BARRY SAID – “America First Legal is pleased to spot Paramount and CBS publically backmost disconnected their DEI requirements and return to merit-based considerations. Diversity quotas that discriminate connected nan ground of title are unlawful. Others successful nan intermezo manufacture should return note.”

NO OTHER TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT WERE DISCLOSED… BUT A-F-L SAYS BENEKER HAS AGREED TO VOLUNTARILY DISMISS HIS CLAIMS FOLLOWING THE AMICABLE RESOLUTION.

Neither CBS nor Paramount has publically addressed nan settlement.