LOS ANGELES (CNS) A former director of business and legal affairs at FremantleMedia North America Inc. who sued the company, alleging he was wrongfully terminated in 2024 because of his age, must have his claims decided by an arbitrator rather than a jury, Freemantle attorneys contend in new court papers.
Brian Hawk’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, harassment or retaliation, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He said he was replaced with a younger worker after being told by a boss that she needed “a machine,” an alleged indirect reference to how old he was.
Fremantle is a British television and production company that has distributed American game shows locally in the U.S. and worldwide.
In a filing brought Monday, Freemantle attorneys state that Hawk signed an agreement in November 2019 in which he said he would address any work- related disputes, including termination, in arbitration.
“Nonetheless, following his layoff in 2024, Hawk improperly filed this lawsuit in Superior Court,” the defense attorneys state in their pleadings. “The entire case belongs in arbitration.”
The arbitration agreement binds all parties and is not unfairly weighted in favor of Freemantle, the defense lawyers further state in their court papers. A hearing on the motion to compel arbitration is scheduled April 14 before Judge Dean J. Kitchens.
Hawk is more than 40 years old, but the suit does not state his precise age at the time of his termination. He seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. According to the suit, Hawk was assigned a new supervisor in October 2021, who regularly commented that she preferred younger workers.
The boss’ alleged remarks made Hawk feel ostracized Hawk and unwelcome, the suit states.
Two years later, the supervisor prevented Hawk and his team from attending an international business affairs and legal conference, further leading the plaintiff — the oldest member of his team — to believe he was not appreciated for his work, the suit states.
A few months later, a memo was sent out that, by its description of Hawk’s job duties, appeared to be a demotion, the suit states. Hawk, surprised by the memo, inquired with a human resources representative and got no answer, so he then questioned his supervisor, who was dismissive of his inquiry, according to the suit.
A new supervisor assigned to oversee Hawk in November 2023 micromanaged him and limited his job duties while also showing kinder treatment to younger workers, the suit alleges.
Freemantle started recruiting for Hawk’s position before he lost his job and his replacement was younger than him, according to the suit filed Jan. 15.
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