LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 9, 2020 / Susan Steen v. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (Case No.20STCV37617), has been filed after a female executive with 31 years of employment was terminated after complaining of sexism.
Susan Steen was hired by Warner Bros. Entertainment in 1987 as a secretary. Through hard work and dedication, she climbed the corporate ladder to become the Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Services and Head of Marketing Services Post. Ms. Steen had an exemplary and unblemished Warner Bros. Entertainment career, spanning over 31 years of service.
However, Ms. Steen's rise in the company did not come without great cost to her. She often faced hostility and resistance from the "old boys' club" comprised of senior male managers who resisted Ms. Steen's decisions and directives, as alleged in her lawsuit. According to court documents, male executives in the Home Entertainment division took concerted efforts to block Ms. Steen's access to necessary information to do her job and routinely spoke to her in a demeaning, combative manner, even in executive meetings. Ms. Steen reported that she felt harassed as a woman and was being subjected to gender bias by specific male members of senior management. Despite complaints to her direct supervisor, to numerous executives, and to members of Human Resources, her complaints were dismissed as "silly, unimportant, and uncomfortable to address."
Soon after her complaints, Ms. Steen states she was targeted with aggressiveness, threats, and retaliation. As just one example, at meetings, the male Executive VP of Home Entertainment stood over Ms. Steen, aggressively wagging his fingers in her face, invading her personal space, and threatening a reorganization that would "not go well" for Ms. Steen.
Ms. Steen states, "In 30 years at a male dominated movie studio, I climbed from secretary to EVP and earned a stellar reputation. I feel that Warner Bros. Entertainment discriminated against me because of my gender, then it attempted to cover up that discrimination and took actions to intentionally harm my reputation, damaging my career. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg taught us that every woman must stand for all women. And that is what I am doing now in this lawsuit."
Steen is represented by two leaders in the Los Angeles employment and civil rights community. Toni Jaramilla, states, "We are proud of Ms. Steen for standing up against sexism. She was hopeful that, after devoting 31 years of her life to Warner Bros. Entertainment, that it would protect and support her, and ensure that her workplace was free of gender discrimination and harassment in the workplace, as the law requires. Instead, Warner Bros. Entertainment terminated our client, falsely claiming that she violated a non-disclosure agreement, when in fact, she did not."
Co-Counsel, Bernard Alexander of Alexander Morrison + Fehr, states, "The reasons expressed by Warner Bros. Entertainment for Ms. Steen's termination smack of pretext and retaliation. We look forward to holding Warner Bros. Entertainment accountable for the gender discrimination and retaliation to which Ms. Steen was subjected."
About Toni Jaramilla, A Professional Law Corporation
Toni Jaramilla is committed to achieving the best possible results for employees who have experienced problems in the workplace. Serving clients throughout Los Angeles, her focus is on achieving positive social change for workers. Through zealous and ethical advocacy, lawyers at the firm have built a reputation for excellence in the practice of employment and labor law. For more information, please call (310) 551-3020, or visit www.jaramilla.com. The office is located at 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90067.
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SOURCE: Toni Jaramilla, A Professional Law Corporation