‘60 Minutes’ Producer Sues CBS Claiming Gender Discrimination Over Firing

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 “much more egregious misconduct” by male staff.

The producer, Alexandra Poolos, says in a gender discrimination lawsuit filed towards CBS on Tuesday in New York federal court docket 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 varied complaints for sexual harassment.

In response to the criticism, “sexism and misogyny outlined the office” on the community. She cites sexual misconduct and harassment claims towards former CBS chairman Leslie Moonves, ex-network anchor Charlie Rose and former 60 Minutes govt 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 accordance with the criticism.

Poolos argues CBS utilized uneven requirements to fireside her, in contrast with male staff. She says that the community initiated a “bogus investigation,” failing to stick to nondiscrimination insurance policies that require CBS to incorporate assessment 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 habits that was not alleged to represent illegal discrimination or retaliation,” states the criticism. “In distinction with its harsh therapy of Poolos, CBS has declined to take any significant disciplinary motion in response to critical allegations of misconduct towards 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 those who Poolos mentions is former CBS Information president Neeraj Khemlani, who stepped down from his place in August overseeing flagship packages similar to CBS Night Information and 60 Minutes. She claims he was the topic of quite a few complaints for discrimination towards ladies and staff of coloration however that the community “gave him a number of probabilities” to deal with his habits as an alternative of firing him.

“Regardless of the numerous complaints about his abusive habits from CBS staff, significantly ladies and folks of coloration, Khemlani has confronted no significant penalties for his abusive habits 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 antidiscrimination 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 buyers about his misconduct and concealing sexual assault allegations towards him. Moonves resigned in 2018 within the wake of public accusations by a gaggle of ladies.