Former executive producer Bill Schultz has filed a lawsuit against Al Roker and his company, Al Roker Entertainment, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated in 2023 for speaking out about the company’s failure to follow a diversity, equity, and inclusion mandate. According to court documents published by The Hollywood Reporter, Schultz claims that he was targeted for termination after calling out the company’s disregard for a PBS DEI program that required his animated series “Weather Hunters” to include Black writers.
The lawsuit alleges that Al Roker Entertainment attempted to undermine the diversity initiative by having Black writers only touch up scripts written by White writers, rather than hiring Black staff writers as mandated by PBS. Schultz spoke out in defense of the DEI policy and was later suspended and fired for what the lawsuit describes as “fabricated” contractual breaches.
Schultz is demanding $10 million in damages plus attorneys’ fees from Roker and his company. He stated, “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 also emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for new voices in storytelling and ensuring that the production lived up to the ideals it was supposed to represent.
Al Roker Entertainment has not responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The lawsuit sheds light on the challenges faced by BIPOC individuals in the entertainment industry and the importance of upholding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.