A longtime anchor at Boston's CBS affiliate has filed a lawsuit alleging she was pushed aside to satisfy corporate diversity quotas, escalating legal scrutiny of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at major media companies, Breitbart reported.
Katherine Merrill Dunham, a veteran anchor at WBZ-TV, claims in her lawsuit that CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, "exploited" diversity, equity and inclusion policies at her expense. She alleges she was demoted in what she describes as "career-ending action" designed to meet corporate diversity benchmarks.
The complaint cites remarks from CBS executives who reportedly described WBZ-TV as "too White," calling it "the least diverse station for on-air talent" and "the Whitest of all their stations." In September 2023, the station hired Black meteorologist Jason Mikell while releasing Zack Green, who is white.
CBS has said that "diversity, equity, and inclusion standards need to be a top priority for leadership in every corner," according to the filing. Dunham contends that the mandate translated into discriminatory practices against white employees.
Her suit follows a broader pattern of legal challenges to DEI policies across the entertainment industry.
In April, CBS Studios settled a case brought by "SEAL Team" script coordinator Brian Beneker, who accused Paramount of maintaining unlawful diversity quotas that disadvantaged straight white men.
Beneker alleged he was repeatedly denied a staff writer position under what he described as an "illegal policy of race and sex balancing," which prioritized less qualified candidates from certain groups, including minorities, LGBTQ individuals and women. He sought at least $500,000 and a permanent production role.
Although Paramount tried to dismiss the case, the court allowed it to proceed. On Friday, lawyers for both sides informed the court of a settlement, with the action dismissed "with prejudice," preventing refiling. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
America First Legal, which represented Beneker, praised the settlement.
"Paramount Global and CBS Studios have agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit America First Legal brought on behalf of our client Brian Beneker. America First Legal is pleased to see Paramount and CBS publicly back off their DEI requirements and return to merit-based considerations," the group said in a statement. "Diversity quotas that discriminate on the basis of race are unlawful. Others in the entertainment industry should take note."
The resolution comes as several major studios, including Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, scale back formal diversity commitments.
Earlier this year, Paramount eliminated staffing goals tied to race, ethnicity, sex and gender, stopped collecting demographic data from most U.S. job applicants, and removed DEI metrics from employee incentive programs. The company cited recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings against race-conscious admissions in higher education, as well as new federal mandates, as factors in its policy shift.
Paramount's legal settlement also arrives as the company recently acquired regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance Media.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.