Opinion ID: 3050189
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Metoyer’s Role in Relaying Discrimination

Text: Complaints by SAG Employees Almost immediately after Metoyer was hired, she began to be approached by minority employees within the Guild with METOYER v. SCREEN ACTORS GUILD 13147 complaints of racial discrimination. Several minority employees complained to Metoyer that the Guild’s senior staff, including Schick, Leonard Chassman, Metoyer’s immediate supervisor and the Guild’s Hollywood Executive Director, and McGuire, (collectively “senior management”), were discriminating on the basis of race in making promotions, assigning work and pay. Metoyer assiduously related these complaints to senior management and others throughout her time at the Guild. Schick and Chassman responded to these complaints with blatantly racist comments. In response to complaints that African-Americans were being kept in low-paying jobs, Shick stated: “I’m keeping them there because I want to keep an eye on them because black people like to party and eat and don’t do their work.” Chassman’s response was: “They ought to be glad they have a job.” In another meeting sometime in 1998 in which Metoyer put forth complaints of minority employees, Chassman responded, “All of these people are lazy and malingerers. Is that something special with AfricanAmericans that they have to socialize all the time and they are never happy? They should be happy to have this job.” Many of the employees told Metoyer that they were retaliated against after she brought their complaints to the attention of senior management. Schick warned Metoyer that she would not go far in the organization because she was too outspoken and SAG senior management did not tolerate people of color talking back the way she did. Schick commented, “You talk more than other black people here. The rest of them are like — they’re like a tribe or something. They hang around together, and they don’t talk. You’re unusual. You talk too much.” Metoyer became concerned about her job because of the actions of senior management against other minority employees who brought complaints. Metoyer asked Chassman whether she was “too outspoken” and he responded affirmatively, explaining that 13148 METOYER v. SCREEN ACTORS GUILD McGuire did not like her because she was too outspoken in attempting to implement affirmative action policies. In 2000, SAG cut Metoyer’s budget and there was an increase in racial discrimination complaints by SAG employees which culminated in the circulation of an anonymous letter written by SAG minority employees. Chassman accused Metoyer of “fomenting” discontent and unrest amongst SAG employees regarding racial discrimination and encouraging them to come forward with their race discrimination complaints. C. Metoyer’s Findings of Irregularities in IACF Grants In addition to relaying complaints of racial discrimination, Metoyer discussed with senior management the concerns of guild members and herself about irregularities in several IACF grants. In relevant part, Metoyer’s declaration states: From the time I was hired and throughout my employment, I regularly questioned the allocation of funds on several grants that are mandated to have Affirmative Action components and projects in them. I continuously complained to SAG senior staff about irregularities in certain IACF grant funds (Brakefield, Ward, and Jensen projects) for the following reasons: A. Shawna Brakefield: Ms. Brakefield was paid for travel for staff and her husband out of IACF funds and was an independent contractor who was given a suite of offices at the Guild rent-free and access to telephones. She was also paid $85,000 as a salary while as an independent producer [she] entered competitions at festivals with her personal projects while she was representing the Guild (obvious conflict of interest). She also paid for her husband’s travel out of these funds. The Board of METOYER v. SCREEN ACTORS GUILD 13149 Directors complained that she never included protected group members in the festivals for outreach . . . only her husband and her staff. She was never audited in spite of numerous complaints. She received in excess of $1,000,000 without being audited and did not account for the spending of the money appropriately. She also spent IACF money to print several thousand pictures of herself as [a] Charlie’s Angel and her staff and mailed them to promote her personal production company, Brakefield Productions. IACF funds are primarily to promote affirmative action activities. I complained to Leonard Chassman and Jonn McGuire because members asked me to complain. Nothing was ever done. B. Sharon Jensen: Ms. Jensen was responsible for the “Non-Traditional Casting” project which was funded for 10 years by SAG and IACF, and was never audited. She was funded to set up a database for members — the same type SAG provides for free through my department. In 1992, she had 4,000 members and non-member stage actors and no pro- tected group members. Members complained and asked her to submit an accounting of the grant money for the past 10 years. She never submitted a report to them and received another $96,000 lump sum payment in September 2000. I complained to Leonard Chassman and John McGuire because members asked me to complain on their behalf. Nothing was ever done.