Bombshell: What a Movie Can Tell Us About Case Selection in Employment Cases by Robert B
EMPLOYMENT LAW Bombshell: what a movie can tell us about case selection in employment cases By Robert B. Landry III; Robert B. Landry III, PLC; Baton Rouge, Louisiana During the COVID-19 Better yet is an employee crisis, many of us have been who has direct evidence of streaming more movies at discrimination that proves home. Recently, I watched the discrimination without the 2019 movie Bombshell, the need for an inference. Copyright which depicts Roger Ailes’ See West v. Nabors Drilling dethroning as CEO of Fox USA, Inc., 330 F.3d 379, 384 News. In 2016, former Fox n. 3 (5th Cir.2003) (“Direct News anchor Gretchen evidence is evidence that, if Louisiana Carlson sued Ailes for sex- believed, proves the fact of ual harassment, claiming discriminatory animus she had been terminated without inference or pre- Association from employment because sumption.”). Without direct she rejected Ailes’ sexual Rob Landry evidence or a showing of advances. Ailes vigorously pretext based on circum- for denied the charges. stantial evidence, an employee will likely Justice. Ultimately, other women, including Fox lose at the summary judgment stage. News star Megyn Kelly, came forward with In Bombshell, Gretchen Carlson’s their own harassment stories. Ailes resigned lawyers suggest that, rather than quit, she Used from Fox News, and Carlson settled her case. stay at Fox News to gather more evidence. with As an attorney representing employees, I After Roger Ailes issues his stream of de- found Bombshell to be not only entertaining, nials, Carlson’s lawyers inform Ailes’ permission. but also a look into some of the factors that counsel that Carlson is in possession of a employment lawyers consider when select- year’s worth of audio recordings of Ailes ing cases.
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