Judge Denies Disney’s Request to Have Harassment Lawsuit Tossed

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In March 2021, a Los Angeles judge declined Disney’s request to toss the lawsuit against the studio alleging sexual harassment on the “Criminal Minds” set where the popular CBS series is filmed.

Details of the Case: Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. The Walt Disney Co. et al.

Court: Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles

Case No.: 20STCV19182

Disney Faces Harassment Lawsuit:

The suit, filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing alleged both sexual harassment and assault. The judge that dismissed Disney’s request to toss the lawsuit did so because he didn’t find questions regarding putative class size appropriate at the demurrer stage.

Judge Declines to Dismiss the Complaint Targeting Disney & ABC Signature Studios, Inc.:

At an afternoon hearing, Judge Daniel J. Buckley of the Los Angeles Superior Court declined to dismiss the harassment complaint lodged against ABC Signature Studios Inc., and Disney. A few of ABC’s Criminal Minds TV show execs, and the Director of Photography for the popular crime show, Gregory St. Johns, were specifically accused of harassment throughout the course of the show’s time on air. The lawsuit alleges widespread sexual harassment.

The Defendant’s Argument to Dismiss the Complaint:

The Defendant argued that the state department did not plead a determinable class with definable common issues of law or fact, and that the loose class definition presented by the agency was too all-inclusive reaching to anyone who worked on the show. According to the defendant, this would balloon to include more than 10,000 people. Based on these arguments, the defendant claimed that many of those who would be “included” according to the presented class definition never encountered St. Johns, so they couldn’t be a potential victim in the case.

The Judge’s Decision: No Dismissal, but No Definitive Call on the Class Definition:

While Judge Buckley declined to dismiss at this point, there was no definitive decision from the court regarding the argument presented by the defendant other than the question didn’t apply at that particular stage in the proceedings.

If you have questions about California labor law violations or how employment law protects you against labor law violations, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.