Compliance March 2, 2004

Screenwriters Charge Age Discrimination

February 27, 2002 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A group of television writers, finding it difficult to find work in a youth-oriented industry, has filed more than 23 separate class action suits against Hollywood's movie studios, TV networks, and talent agencies charging age discrimination.
Reported by

The action follows last month’s dismissal of a similar case against the same defendants, by a federal judge who ruled that multiple defendants could not be sued in a single action – the writers are now suing the defendants separately.

According to the plaintiffs’ lawyer, the suit claims that each defendant engaged in a pattern or practice of refusing to hire or represent them because of their age.

Defendants include, among others:

  • television networks NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, the WB and UPN
  • movies studios, Disney’s Touchstone Pictures, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox
  • talent agencies, the William Morris agency, Creative Artists Agency, and International Creative Management Inc.

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