Friends lawsuit thrown out

Vulgar language and frank discussions of sex in a sitcom writers’ room does not constitute sexual harassment, California’s Supreme Court has ruled.

The judge threw out a long-running sexual harassment case brought by assistant Amaani Lyle, who complained about the profanity-riddled banter she endured in script meetings about Friends.

But Justice Marvin Baxter held that the essence of a sexual harassment claim is disparate treatment on the basis of sex, not the mere discussion of sex or the use of vulgar language.

‘The record discloses that most of the sexually coarse and vulgar language at issue did not involve and was not aimed at plaintiff or other women in the workplace,’ he ruled.

And he added that the explicit language took place in a creative workplace where the job was generating stories for a comedy with adult themes – and that Lyle had been warned in advance about the atmosphere she would be working in.

But she still claimed she was offended by discussions about blondes, breast size, foreplay, a pornographic coloring book and sexual fantasies – conversations the writers admitted having.

Lyle was fired four months into her job on the grounds she typed up the transcripts too slowly, Hollywood trade paper Variety reports

Defence lawyer Adam Levin said after the ruling: ‘Now my clients can continue doing what they do best: Writing and producing hit television shows with knowledge that their speech is protected.’

Published: 21 Apr 2006