Roy Price, a movie executive at Amazon Movie Studios has been suspended over claims of sexual harassment. The interesting bit is that these allegations were not made recently but over two years ago by a producer on the Amazon shows, Isa Hackett. In light of the recent Harvey Weinstein scandal, Mrs. Hackett decided to go public with the fact that she was sexually harassed by Mr. Price two years ago at an event promoting one of her shows for the company. Even though she formally complained to Amazon executives, Mrs. Hackett claims that Amazon never informed her of the outcome of their investigation, leaving her in a state of limbo. She did not know if Amazon had taken her complaint seriously and if any steps were taken to keep the harassment from happening again.
Mrs. Hackett admits that she did not encounter Mr. Price again and never saw him at any promotional events for her shows going forward. But due to the fact that Amazon executives failed to report their findings or any disciplinary action taken, Mr. Price’s absences at these events could have been interpreted as a lack of support from a studio head and ultimately some sort of retaliation on his part. Amazon’s motives for suspending Mr. Price after Ms. Hackett’s public revelation do not seem to add up, especially, if proper measures were taken during their initial investigation two years prior as they claim.
Mrs. Hackett notes that she was inspired by the brave women who stepped forward against Harvey Weinstein. She feels that being in a position of power in the industry, it was imperative for her to speak out and ultimately help create a change. Sexual harassment and gender discrimination is currently an issue that Hollywood is struggling with but unfortunately it is not the only industry that has taken advantage of its female employees. If you feel you have been targeted or sexually harassed at your place of employment, please call the employment lawyers at Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP for a free phone consultation. You can reach us at (212) 300-0375 or visit our website for additional information.