10 Men Allege That a ‘Criminal Minds’ Staffer Sexually Harassed Them On Set
The creatives behind CBS’s Criminal Minds are under the microscope now after California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing is filing a sexual harassment suit.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the complaint alleges sexual touching by Gregory St. Johns, who acted as a director of photography on the show.
Gregory was allegedly sexually harassing people on the set for a long time, and had long gone unnoticed. Now, California authorities are going after The Walt Disney Company, ABC Signature Studios, CBS Studios and various individuals for what happened.
“With the aid of defendants, St. Johns created an unchecked intimidating, hostile, and offensive work environment on the set of Criminal Minds,” the complaint said. “Protected by the executive production team — including showrunner Erica Messer, executive producer Harry Bring, executive producer John Breen Frazier, director Glenn Kershaw, and unit production manager Stacey Beneville — St. Johns continued his unlawful conduct for years. Defendants’ executive team not only had actual and constructive knowledge of St. Johns’ abusive conduct, they condoned it.”
It continued, “No necessary steps to prevent sex-based harassment and discrimination were taken over the years, nor were appropriate corrective actions. Instead, the executives fired anyone who resisted or who tacitly evaded St. Johns’ advances or abuse.”
The investigation was launched by a complaint from Anthony Matulic, a former technician who says he resisted a butt slap from Gregory and was ultimately fired after complaining to supervisors.
Authorities also said they reviewed a complaint from Dauv McNeely, who worked in the video playback department and says he corroborated allegations against Gregory before being similarly dismissed, THR reports.
Over a dozen men were fired at Gregory’s request, alleges the complaint.
The suit ultimately charges Walt Disney’s Employee Relations with conducting “various inadequate investigations designed to exonerate [Gregory].”
Gregory was removed from his position after Variety did a story about some of the allegations.
“Defendants chose to act in conscious disregard of its employees’ rights by ignoring the complaints made by the crew members,” the complaint explained. “It was not until the media made St. Johns’ conduct public and potentially threatened their brand that Defendants removed St. Johns from the show. Even when they did so, despite the allegations against him, corporate Defendants paid St. Johns an ‘enhanced severance.'”
Wow! Well may certainly be another bombshell. We’ll be paying attention.