CBS bias claim Exec sues in firing, blames ‘all white males’
A high-ranking CBS executive who developed “Survivor” and “BH90210” is suing the network for alleged race and age discrimination.
Ghen Maynard, 53, claims he’s being pushed out as senior executive vice president of alternative programming by “CBS’ top circle” of “all white males.”
Maynard (inset), who is of Japanese descent, claims the termination follows a “sham investigation” into allegations he mistreated a female coworker.
“Mr. Maynard’s contract was not renewed due to the elimination of the studio’s alternative programming department. The claims in this suit are completely without merit, and we will defend against it vigorously,” the network said in a statement Monday.
In his 16-page complaint filed in Los Angeles, Maynard says he “developed and championed” the wildly successful reality series “Survivor” and has earned CBS “well over a billion dollars and innumerable accolades.”
He says former
CBS boss Les Moonves, who resigned last year amid numerous allegations of sexual harassment and abuse, hired him back for a third CBS stint in 2016 and gave him a broad mandate to create new programming for CBS Studios.
Maynard claims credit for convincing the stars of “Beverly Hills, 90210” to reunite for the “BH90210” reboot that led to a “fierce bidding war” and ultimately landed at Fox.
He also claims he landed comedian Tiffany Haddish as host of the recent revival of “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” which aired Sunday nights on ABC in October and November.
“Since Mr. Moonves’ departure, CBS has become a radically different place. Despite blaming all of its problems on Mr. Moonves and claiming it has taken steps to improve race and gender issues at the company, today’s CBS ‘leaders,’ those making key decisions on such issues are all white males, whose decisions belie CBS’ self-serving rhetoric,” his lawsuit claims.
Maynard calls himself “the only minority leader in senior leadership” after CBS “summarily terminated” Angelica McDaniel in a restructuring in September.
He claims the “sham” investigation into his behavior earlier this year was based on a “false and ludicrous allegation that he mistreated a female coworker.”
According to the paperwork, Maynard says he rankled the female co-worker by asking a “quiet male employee on the same team for his opinions during a meeting, as opposed to asking for the opinions of the complaining female co-worker.”
He claims the unidentified female colleague also reported he “did not say hello” to her during an elevator ride “in the same way” that he greeted male co-workers.