CBS Seeks Dismissal of Harassment Lawsuit
CBS has asked a court to throw out a lawsuit filed by John Lowe, a former writer on the drama Matlock, according to a motion submitted ahead of the 2026-2027 television season. The network's legal team, representing CBS Studios and individual defendants Jennie Urman Snyder, Nicki Renna, and Jeffrey Lieber, argues that Lowe's claims of racial and sexual harassment are fabrications and outright lies. The motion asserts that the decision not to reengage Lowe as a writer was a creative choice tied to the defendants' free speech on a matter of public interest, bringing California's anti-SLAPP statute into play.[S1]
Lowe brought his complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court during June, asking for damages that were not specified. According to his filing, Snyder and the producers let sexually explicit and discriminatory behavior continue unchecked. He also asserted that Snyder used a racial slur when mentioning Juneteenth, and that a different producer placed a late-night call to him with sexual overtones. CBS's response denies all of this, saying Snyder never uttered the slur and that no one else observed such an exchange.[S1]
Disputed Employment Dates and Denials
CBS's filing states that Lowe joined the Kathy Bates-led series in October 2023 and departed in July 2024, contradicting the July 2025 date given in his complaint. The motion also denies that he experienced the race or sex harassment he describes. CBS further contends that as the litigation moves forward, the defendants expect what they call malicious and baseless accusations to be revealed as retaliation from a desperate individual whose poor job performance undermined CBS's capacity to deliver its intended messages.[S1]
A CBS Studios representative echoed the company's stance, stating that after a comprehensive review the claims are clearly untrue and deliberately invented, and that they will be contested. The representative noted that fabricated accusations cause serious harm both to those falsely targeted and to people who bring genuine, valid discrimination complaints. CBS, the spokesperson said, fully supports its producers and anticipates that the facts will eventually emerge.[S1]
