Al Roker sued for allegedly failing to follow diversity, equity, inclusion mandate
FILE - Al Roker at the world premiere of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" held at AMC Lincoln Square New York on March 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)
Al Roker and his company were accused in a lawsuit filed Tuesday of failing to follow a diversity, equity and inclusion mandate.
Former executive producer Bill Schultz is suing the "Today" show anchor and Al Roker Entertainment, claiming he was "wrongfully and illegally targeted" for termination in 2023 after calling out the company’s failure to properly follow a diversity initiative, according to a court document The Hollywood Reporter published.
The lawsuit alleged that the company "callously disregarded" a PBS DEI program that mandated Schultz’ animated series "Weather Hunters" include Black writers. Schultz accused Al Roker Entertainment of trying to undermine and avoid the mandate by having Black writers only touch up scripts that White writers wrote rather than hire Black staff writers.
Al Roker and his company were accused in a lawsuit filed Tuesday of failing to follow a diversity, equity and inclusion mandate.
Former executive producer Bill Schultz is suing the "Today" show anchor and Al Roker Entertainment, claiming he was "wrongfully and illegally targeted" for termination in 2023 after calling out the company’s failure to properly follow a diversity initiative, according to a court document The Hollywood Reporter published.
The lawsuit alleged that the company "callously disregarded" a PBS DEI program that mandated Schultz’ animated series "Weather Hunters" include Black writers. Schultz accused Al Roker Entertainment of trying to undermine and avoid the mandate by having Black writers only touch up scripts that White writers wrote rather than hire Black staff writers.
Though PBS provided most of the show’s financing, Schultz maintained that Al Roker Entertainment had "total authority" over the series, meaning it signed off on decisions. Schultz is demanding that Roker and his company pay him $10 million in damages plus attorneys’ fees.
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"I put nine years of my career into ‘Weather Hunters,' a project I strongly believe in, with the goal of making a wonderfully crafted show for children to enjoy and learn from," Schultz told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. "I also believed, and still believe, that the project benefited by creating opportunities for the ‘new voices’ crucial in storytelling and that the ‘Weather Hunters’ production needed to live up to the ideals it was supposed to represent."
Fox News Digital reached out to Al Roker Entertainment for a comment.