The following is provided for informational purposes, and not meant to be legal advice.
On April 20, 2006, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in favor of Warner Brothers Television Productions in Amaani Lyle v. Warner Brothers Television Productions, et al.
Amaani Lyle was a writer's assistant on the Friends television show who was terminated for performance.
During the hiring process, Lyle's employer told her that, the workplace focused on developing scripts for an adult-oriented comedy with sexual themes, and that the show's writers told sexual jokes and engaged in conversations about sex. Lyle indicated that discussions on sexual topics did not make her uncomfortable.
Lyle claimed that the discussions constituted sexual harassment. The court's ruling detailed what an employee needed to prove in order to make a case for hostile work environment sexual harassment under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). One element was that the alleged conduct must be either severe or pervasive and, because of sex.
In the case, Lyle did not establish that offensive conduct was undertaken because of her sex. No one ever directed any sexual comments or asked her on a date. General statements about women and men were made in group sessions.
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