CBS Studios has settled a lawsuit from a script coordinator for SEAL Team, who accused parent company Paramount of carrying illegal diversity quotas that discriminate against straight white men.
Lawyers for both sides on Friday informed the court of a deal to settle the case. They noted that the “action and all claims and defenses asserted therein, be dismissed with prejudice,” meaning the lawsuit can’t be refiled, according to the filing. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
The settlement aligns with companies across Hollywood rethinking diversity, equity and inclusion policies amid a larger retreat from initiatives under that label in the private sector driven by the government. That includes Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, which earlier this year eliminated staffing goals tied to race, ethnicity, sex and gender. The company also stopped collecting gender and diversity data for most U.S. job applicants and tying its employee incentive program to DEI goals, pointing to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down race-conscious admissions in universities and federal mandates that “require changes in the way our company approaches inclusion moving forward.”
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Some of those policies came under the spotlight last year when SEAL Team script coordinator Brian Beneker alleged in a lawsuit filed in California federal court that he was repeatedly denied a staff writer job after the implementation of an “illegal policy of race and sex balancing” that allegedly promoted the hiring of less qualified applicants from certain groups, namely those who identify as minorities, LGBTQ or women. He sought at least $500,000, as well as a court order making him a full-time producer on the series and barring the further use of discriminatory hiring practices.
The court overseeing the case later rebuffed Paramount’s bid to dismiss the case.
The lawsuit was settled as Paramount Global continues to seek regulatory approval of its proposed merger with Skydance. FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, who sent a letter to Comcast in February saying that he was investigating DEI policies, has asserted his authority over the sale due to the transfer of broadcast licenses. The agency continues to investigate CBS News’ handling of a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Beneker was represented by America First Legal Foundation, a conservative group founded by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. The firm, which was joined by JW Howard Attorneys, has brought federal complaints against major companies, including Starbucks, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, arguing that corporate diversity and hiring practices run afoul of civil rights laws. It has targeted allegedly discriminatory hiring quotas at Disney, specifically a provision requiring that at least half of producer and writing staff come from underrepresented group that the company rolled back earlier this year.
The settlement was reached as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to campaign against DEI programs in the media and entertainment sector. Carr in March urged the agency’s enforcement arm to open an investigation into Disney and ABC over whether the companies maintains discriminatory policies through racial quotas, among other things.
Paramount and CBS declined to comment. Lawyers for Beneker didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
