Warner Bros is facing scrutiny after a former executive filed a lawsuit against the media giant, alleging discrimination and harassment based on gender. The ex-executive in question claims these toxic practices were the cause of her termination from the company, and that she was fired as a direct result of her previously speaking out about the alleged abuse.
The claimant, Susan Steen, worked at Warner Bros from 1987 to December of 2018, eventually rising through the ranks to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Theatrical Marketing. In the lawsuit, she says that she had repeatedly reported the toxic behavior of several male coworkers to supervisors, executives, and Human Resources, only to have her concerns waved off. She then claims to have received targeted harassment directly following her complaints.
According to Steen, the culture in certain areas of the company was that of an “old boys’ club,” with a group of senior male managers notably lashing out against her and her new role as their superior by attempting to undermine her authority and refusing to give her important information needed to do her job. After filing complaints with HR and others, Steen herself was allegedly accused of misconduct. She was fired on December 20th, 2018, and says that she was given notice that HR would be investigating her claims merely one day earlier.
Warner Bros gave a short response to the claims, refuting them with, “the allegations in the complaint are inaccurate. We look forward to presenting the facts through the legal process.” Other information, including what Steen seeks in damages, is currently unknown, though it will likely come to light as the lawsuit progresses, since Steen and her legal team would like this to go to trial.
This is only the most recent case of allegations being brought against a powerful individual or company. Many of these cases unfortunately grind to a standstill as investigations hit dead ends due to any number of reasons. The “old boys’ club” culture described in Steen’s lawsuit seems particularly prevalent in long-established companies like this, which tends to make it difficult to gather proper evidence in similar cases. This is, sadly, the way of things in many cases when change is brought up.
Even so, hopefully the truth to these accusations is brought to light soon, and changes can begin to be made accordingly. If Steen’s claims prove to be true, then a full investigation could not only give her the closure she needs, but could also help anyone still at the company still facing similar discrimination. Of course, time will tell.
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