A former TMZ worker who says he fired and threatened after telling Warner Bros. Human Resources. that she and her female colleagues were discriminated against and objected to filing a federal complaint against the studio and TMZ’s boss, Harvey Levin, which could open the door to a lawsuit.
Lawyers for Bernadette Zilio, who worked for Levin’s EMH Productions as an associate manufacturer and air collaborator at TMZ and its sister site TooFab.com from 2015 to February 2020, allege in their complaint of discrimination and intimidation before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and California. . Ministry of Employment and Housing Just that the outlets were a “boys’ club”, “a 100 percent festival” and a “fraternity”, reports Dominic Patten of Deadline.
“In addition to the environment of discriminatory paintings, court cases through Ms. Zilio on her behalf and that of her female colleagues about illegal remedies have been sanctioned and abused,” the complaint reads. “Incredibly, Ms. Zilio was fired a few days after Warner Bros. and EHM’s human resources told Ms. Zilio that she rejected her court cases on a sexist and misogynistic remedy, and instead accepted the apology her male superiors had given her for the other remedy. “
Zilio claims to have discussed the culture at EHM with WB HR twice in two years and that he was escorted off-site after studio representatives sided with the production company and refused to sign a separation agreement. On the same day, the complaint goes, TooFab.com’s editor-in-chief, Shyam Dodge, accused Zilio of “plagiarism and false subpoenas,” which the official explanation gave for his dismissal.
In addition, the complaint, which names Levin, Warner Bros., EHM, Dodge and TooFab’s lead producer Ross McDonagh, alleges that his lawyers threatened to sue Zilio when they said she had been a lawyer.
“After her dismissal, Ms. Zilio hired a lawyer to file her complaints of discrimination and retaliation,” the case reads. “Your suggestion informed respondents that it intended to follow these programs in litigation. In response, on 29 July 2020, respondents, through their suggestion, risked suing Ms. Zilio for “substantial liability ” if she publicly shared the main points “The risk of defendants constitutes additional retaliation because that risk was obviously intended to intimidate Ms. Zilio and discourage her from participating in activities”.
An EHM spokesman replied: “As Ms. Zilio and her lawyer well know, TooFab.com separated from Ms. Zilio due to documented incidents of plagiarism and erroneous reports. These incidents were addressed at the time and Ms. Zilio stated her mistakes. This is a blatant attempt to use negative exposure and misrepresentation to force TooFab and TMZ to pay for a financial settlement. We will vigorously protect ourselves from any attempt to distort what is a legal and justified employment decision. “
The EEOC and DFEH will decide whether the case is brought to court.
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