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Matlock heads to Los Angeles Superior Court in suit alleging showrunner made Juneteenth-related insult, racist and sexual remarks
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jun 17, 2:31 PM EDT

Matlock heads to Los Angeles Superior Court in suit alleging showrunner made Juneteenth-related insult, racist and sexual remarks

A former writer for CBS’s Kathy Bates-led legal drama filed a complaint alleging he was removed from the series after raising concerns about comments attributed to showrunner Jennie Synder Urman.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says the CBS legal drama Matlock is facing claims tied to alleged workplace conduct on the Kathy Bates-led series. According to the complaint filed Wednesday, a former writer alleges he was fired or otherwise removed after he raised concerns about comments attributed to showrunner Jennie Synder Urman.

The allegations, as described in the court filing, include claims that the showrunner made a Juneteenth-related insult, and that the former writer was subjected to or confronted with alleged racist and sexual comments in the workplace. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

The case centers on internal decisions around staffing and participation on a major network production. The plaintiff’s account asserts that he brought concerns to the attention of those involved in series operations and that those concerns were met with adverse employment action, according to the allegations summarized in the filing.

The suit is being pursued by the former writer as the defendant is the series production and/or related parties associated with the program, with the matter now proceeding through court processes in Los Angeles. The complaint was filed as of Wednesday, and it requests damages without specifying amounts in the initial description.

Matlock is produced for CBS with Kathy Bates starring, with the program set to continue under standard production and legal review constraints while the dispute remains in litigation. In the current stage, the public record available from the reporting describes the claims and the forum but does not provide a merits ruling or the show’s response.

In lawsuits of this kind, courts typically require the parties to submit written responses, establish the factual issues to be litigated, and follow deadlines for motions and discovery. No determination has been reported in the matter described, and no judicial findings are included in the available public summary.

For the production, the dispute adds a new legal and administrative factor during an ongoing series cycle, with potential implications for workplace policies, management practices, and document preservation related to alleged remarks and staffing decisions. The case next moves through the Superior Court’s procedural track as both sides develop the factual record.

Why It Matters

  • The dispute will be resolved in a public court process, not solely through internal production channels, putting workplace conduct allegations under judicial scrutiny.
  • Unspecified damages and alleged adverse employment action could lead to discovery into communications and decision-making around staffing and management practices.
  • The case adds legal uncertainty for a major network drama during an active production window, potentially affecting scheduling, documentation, and litigation costs.
  • If the allegations are contested, the court process will determine whether the claims can be substantiated under applicable employment and civil legal standards.

Sources

Key Facts

  • A former writer filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court relating to CBS’s Matlock.
  • The complaint was filed on Wednesday and seeks unspecified damages.
  • The plaintiff alleges he was axed or removed after raising concerns about comments attributed to showrunner Jennie Synder Urman.
  • The allegations include claims involving a Juneteenth-related insult, as well as racist and sexual comments.
  • The series stars Kathy Bates and airs on CBS, according to the reporting describing the lawsuit context.