Now Reading: CBS ordered to pay nearly $10 million to fired executive who called anchor ‘too homosexual’, blames ‘woke mob’ pressure
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CBS ordered to pay nearly $10 million to fired executive who called anchor ‘too homosexual’, blames ‘woke mob’ pressure
CBS ordered to pay nearly $10 million to fired executive who called anchor ‘too homosexual’, blames ‘woke mob’ pressure
CBS has been ordered to pay virtually $10 million to a former high executive it dismissed earlier than finishing an inner investigation into allegations that he made racist and sexist remarks, reviews New York Post. The remarks, in accordance to courtroom paperwork and his lawyer, included calling a Black anchor “a jive guy” and labelling one other “too gay.” CBS allegedly acted underneath pressure from what the executive’s authorized staff called a “woke mob.”Peter Dunn, who served as president of CBS Television Stations, was eliminated in 2021 after the Los Angeles Times printed a report accusing him of fostering a hostile work surroundings. The broadcaster suspended Dunn and one other executive and started an inner overview. However, Dunn was fired earlier than the investigation was accomplished. At the time, CBS mentioned the termination could be handled “as though without cause” however that the corporate might revisit the matter as soon as the probe concluded.Months later, after finishing its overview, CBS tried to reclassify Dunn’s dismissal as “for cause,” which might have allowed the corporate to withhold again pay and inventory awards. That transfer led Dunn to pursue arbitration, the place a panel of retired judges discovered the corporate had violated his employment contract.The appeals panel dominated CBS had no proper to delay its determination on whether or not the firing was for trigger. The contract required the corporate to make that dedication on the time of dismissal, not retroactively. Arbitrators mentioned the broadcaster couldn’t invent a “new and nebulous third option” to defer its selection.CBS should now pay Dunn greater than $7 million in compensation, plus curiosity, bringing the whole to roughly $9.78 million.“This was never about Peter’s conduct. It was to appease the woke mob,” Dunn’s lawyer, Larry Hutcher, informed The New York Post. “It was like the Red Scare, and it was very shortsighted and unfair.”CBS responded to the ruling by citing a procedural challenge and insisted it disagrees with the result. “Four years ago, we removed Peter Dunn as head of the CBS Television Stations for reasons that have been well documented and reported publicly,” a spokesperson mentioned. “This decision was not based on the substance of the allegations against Mr. Dunn.”Hutcher argued that CBS ought to have merely suspended Dunn and waited for the investigation to end earlier than making any determination about his employment. “The proper and prudent response would have been to suspend him, continue to pay him, wait for the investigation to be completed, and then fire him,” he mentioned.He additionally famous that Dunn had spent greater than 20 years at CBS and was targeted on restoring his repute. “We are grateful that the original arbitrator and the appeals panel agreed with Mr. Dunn that he had been wrongfully terminated,” Hutcher mentioned. “We look forward to the award being confirmed in the Supreme Court so that we can enforce this judgment.”CBS maintains it stands by the findings of its investigation and the ensuing selections. “We’re grateful for the many voices who spoke up in a process that led to significant cultural change at our television stations,” the corporate added.
