Sony Pictures Television and CBS have won their bid to dismiss Victoria Rowell’s lawsuit alleging she was systematically discriminated against during her time on “Young and the Restless.”
In documents obtained by TheWrap Wednesday, California District Judge John A. Kronstadt threw out six causes of action against Sony with leave to amend.
“Plaintiff’s first and second causes of action for failure to rehire on Y&R are dismissed, with leave to amend, if Plaintiff can do so in good faith and in conformance with the analysis in this Order,” the judge declared.
Rowell – known just as much for her off-screen push for diversity at “Y&R” as for her on-screen character Drucilla Barber Winters – also claimed that those who fought for greater diversity in Hollywood were frequently punished.
She filed the lawsuit in February alleging that the producers of “Y&R: refused to rehire her for that show or “The Bold and the Beautiful.” The actress had left “Y&R” in 2007 after 17 seasons claiming she had suffered years of racial discrimination, harassment and resistance from CBS bosses to increase diversity on the soap.
CBS fired back, telling TheWrap the suit had “no merit” and that they were going to “vigorously defend” the case. They moved to dismiss Rowell’s lawsuit contending, among other things, that her demands violate the First Amendment.
Rowell starred on “Y&R” from 1990 to 2007 and appeared in more than 2000 episodes.
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