Paramount Exec Sues, Claims Age & Race Bias

In a surprising turn of events, a former Paramount executive is taking the company to court, alleging he was a victim of age and racial discrimination. Joseph Jerome, who spent 30 years with the company, claims that Paramount’s push for diversity ultimately led to his termination after three decades of service.

Allegations of Discrimination in Layoffs

Jerome, who is white, filed a lawsuit in California federal court on October 31, 2025. He alleges that he was one of three attorneys in CBS Media Ventures (CMV) who were let go and subsequently replaced by younger employees from minority groups. The lawsuit states that at the start of 2024, CMV had a nearly even split of white and minority attorneys, but all those laid off from Jerome’s specific division were reportedly white and over the age of 50.

The complaint highlights a particularly concerning detail: Jerome’s position as senior vice president of business and legal affairs was allegedly filled by a 25-year-old Black law school graduate and former CMV intern. His colleagues, similarly, were reportedly replaced by younger Asian attorneys whose previous roles were eliminated during corporate restructuring.

Concerns Over Demographics and ‘Thinking Old’

Jerome’s lawsuit also points to a meeting in November 2023, led by then-CBS News president Wendy McMahon. According to the suit, McMahon expressed concerns about the older demographics of shows within her division and urged staff to hire younger employees to attract a younger audience. This directive, Jerome claims, set the stage for discriminatory practices.

Further fueling his claims, Jerome alleges he was later criticized for “thinking old” during a discussion about a potential deal. This criticism apparently stemmed from him pointing out a misused legal term, suggesting that his experience and perspective were being devalued due to his age.

Paramount’s DEI Policies and Recent Changes

This lawsuit comes at a time when Paramount, like many companies, has been navigating changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Previously, Paramount had rolled back some DEI initiatives to comply with executive orders aimed at dismantling “illegal DEI” policies. These changes included removing race, ethnicity, sex, and gender from numerical goals and eliminating demographic data collection on U.S. job applications.

Despite these shifts, Paramount stated that values like inclusivity and collaboration remain part of its culture. However, the company has also undergone significant restructuring, including a merger with Skydance Media and subsequent layoffs affecting thousands of employees across various divisions. David Ellison, founder and CEO of Skydance, has indicated that DEI initiatives would remain discontinued.

Similar Claims Emerge from Other Employees

Jerome’s lawsuit isn’t the only instance of alleged racial discrimination surfacing. Trey Sherman, a Black associate producer for the now-canceled CBS Evening News+, shared his experience on TikTok. He claimed that all the producers laid off from his team were people of color, while the white team members who transitioned into new roles were not.

Sherman expressed his frustration, stating that even though an executive claimed the decisions were based on prior working relationships and not race, the outcome was undeniably racist. This situation highlights the complex and sensitive nature of layoffs and diversity initiatives within large corporations.