The allegations center on Nicole Harris Johnson, who heads Paramount Legal's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee while serving as Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs of CBS News, CBS Stations, and CBS Media Ventures. Jerome claims Johnson fired three CBS Media Ventures production attorneys in 2024, all of them White and over 50.
According to the filing, the trouble began at a November 2023 meeting where Wendy McMahon, then president of CBS News, Stations and CMV, reportedly complained about the older demographics of viewership and said she wanted younger staff to attract younger viewers. Shortly after, Johnson repeatedly criticized Jerome for thinking "old" during a discussion about a prospective deal, the lawsuit states.
Jerome says he was replaced by Katelyn Segrest, a 25-year-old Black recent law school graduate and former CMV intern.
The alleged pattern extended beyond Jerome. In February 2024, Johnson terminated David Andriole, 59 and White, who had served as production counsel for Hot Bench for four seasons. He was replaced by Jubine David Sadighi, 40 and Asian, whose previous role had been eliminated in a corporate restructuring but who Johnson retained anyway, according to the filing.
That same month, Johnson terminated Edith Walters, 50 and White, who had worked alongside Jerome at Entertainment Tonight for four years. She was replaced first by Thu Duong, 49 and Asian, then by Robin Dunlop, 54 and Black, who had no prior production...
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