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Disney and CBS are facing a new lawsuit.
The entertainment companies and producers of the long-running series “Criminal Minds" are being sued by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which is alleging that the show's cinematographer engaged in rampant sexual misconduct against crew members for 14 years.
The suit filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court claims the show's production team knew of and condoned the alleged behavior of cinematographer Gregory St. Johns during the years he spent on “Criminal Minds",” and fired more than a dozen men who resisted his unwanted groping and sexual harassment.
The show was co-produced by CBS and Disney-owned ABC Signature Studios and ran for 15 seasons on CBS.
Those entities along with production company Entertainment Partners, several of the show's producers and St. Johns himself are named as defendants in the suit, which seeks back pay and other damages for the crew members who were fired.
FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2016 file photo, the CBS logo appears onscreen at the Winter TCAs in Pasadena, Calif. The state of California is suing CBS, Disney and producers of the long-running series 'Criminal Minds,' alleging that the show’s cinematographer, Gregory St. Johns, engaged in rampant sexual misconduct against crew members for years. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
According to Variety, the suit claims that the show's production team was aware that St. Johns would allegedly routinely harass male crew members by touching and kissing them inappropriately, and did nothing to stop him.
The suit further alleges that more than a dozen men were fired after complaining about St. John's behavior, per Variety.
Complaints to human resources did not result in meaningful discipline against St. Johns, and investigations by the corporate defendants were toothless and designed to hide the misconduct, the suit claims.
The cinematographer left the show after Variety broke the news of the allegations against him in 2018.
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“Defendants’ executive team not only had actual and constructive knowledge of St. Johns’ abusive conduct, they condoned it,” said the suit, per Variety. “No necessary steps to prevent sex-based harassment and discrimination were taken over the years, nor were appropriate corrective actions. Instead, the executives fired anyone who resisted or who tacitly evaded St. Johns’ advances or abuse.”
In March 2019, the state began investigating the production, finding a pattern in St. Johns' alleged inappropriate behavior toward males on set.
The suit alleges that those who resisted St. Johns' advances faced "the silent treatment, social ostracism, unfair criticism, public shaming, and ultimately termination."
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Reps for Disney, ABC, CBS, Entertainment Partners and St. Johns did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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