March 7th 2024.
Sony Music is taking a stand against a lawsuit accusing Columbia Records of discriminating against white job applicants. The case, filed by Patria Paulino, a former executive assistant to chief executive Ron Perry, has caught the attention of The Hollywood Reporter. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in New York on February 28th, Paulino felt pressured to resign after she spoke out against discriminatory hiring practices. She claims that she was asked to hire a Black person for an administrative assistant role in order to address multiple complaints of racial discrimination made against Perry by former employees. However, when she recommended non-Black candidates for the position, she was forced to leave her job.
The lawsuit includes evidence in the form of text messages between Paulino and Samantha Sachs, Perry's former executive assistant and current director of business development. In these messages, Sachs emphasizes the importance of race in the hiring process, allegedly stating, "We can't hire another white Jewish girl," in response to a non-Black candidate that Paulino wanted to interview. According to the lawsuit, after a "sham interview" process, two Black candidates were recommended for Perry to review, and Paulino was forced to resign for speaking out against the discriminatory practices.
In a response filed on March 6th, Sony Music Entertainment, Columbia's parent company, harshly criticized Paulino's claims, calling them "contradictory and false." They also accused her of using the lawsuit as a means to harass her former employer and boss, rather than addressing any actual discriminatory behavior. The filing states that Paulino only worked for Sony Music for a short period of time and did not perform well in her role. They also claim that she was fully aware and in agreement with the company's legal hiring practices, despite now alleging discrimination.
The lawsuit also mentions Perry's former administrative assistant, who applied for the executive assistant position but was passed over in favor of Paulino, who is Hispanic. Paulino claims that she was only hired as a "diversity hire" and was treated unfairly by Perry because of her race. She alleges that he would often belittle and criticize her, saying things like "your anxiety is showing in your work" and instructing her to only respond to him with "Yes," "No," or "I will find out." The lawsuit states that Perry did not speak to white employees in this manner.
Paulino is seeking damages for discrimination, retaliation, and aiding and abetting. This lawsuit comes just one week after CBS Studios and its parent company, Paramount, were sued for allegedly discriminating against straight white men through the implementation of diversity quotas.
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