When California residents watch a television channel, they have little way to know what goes on behind the cameras. A lawsuit filed by a black female former employee of Turner Broadcasting System sheds some light on what she alleges went on throughout the organization. According to her complaint, the 13-year veteran of the cable channel said that her employer passed her over for a promotion to a senior management position although her work history qualified her for the job. The employer instead promoted a white man with allegedly inferior qualifications.
The woman’s lawsuit included documentation showing that her experience was not unique. TBS apparently promotes white people much more often than black people. Nonwhites have never held senior vice president positions or above. The plaintiff added that the company segregated black employees into departments that had little influence.
Her lawsuit went on to describe large gaps between the pay for blacks and whites at the workplace. Blacks, she said, had to apply triple the effort of whites to earn promotions of any kind. The plaintiff appears to be pursuing the possibility of a class action case against TBS, CNN and Time Warner. The companies have not released any statements about the lawsuit.
In addition to racial bias, workplace discrimination can take many forms. People mistreated because of their age, sex, religion, disability or national origin also have legal protections. A person suffering harassment, being paid less than colleagues or being ignored for promotions could discuss with an attorney how to hold an employer accountable. An attorney could assemble evidence that shows the violation of laws and prepare a lawsuit that seeks appropriate damages.
Source: HNHH, “CNN & TBS Sued For Racial Discrimination By Ex-Employee”, Matt F, Jan. 22, 2018
