'The Bachelor' Racial Discrimination Case Dismissed by Judge
ABC and Warner Horizon Television have won an important case that was recently dismissed by the court. Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson had filed a complaint that "The Bachelor" series and its spin-off, "The Bachelorette," demonstrated racial discrimination by rarely featuring non-white cast members.
On Monday, Judge Aleta Trauger issued the following ruling: "Casting decisions are a necessary component of any entertainment show's creative content … The plaintiffs seek to drive an artificial wedge between casting and the end product, which itself is indisputably protected as speech by the First Amendment."
"In this respect, casting and the resulting work of entertainment are inseparable and must both be protected to ensure that the producers' freedom of speech is not abridged," Trauger ruled.
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The show, which will debut its 17th season in January, has always featured mainly white males and mostly white women who compete to find love. When Claybrooks and Johnson auditioned for the series and were not cast, they filed the suit in order to bring attention to the lack of color on the series.
Their attorneys argued that the lawsuit "underscores the significant barriers that people of color continue to face in the media and the broader marketplace," said The Hollywood Reporter.
Yet "The Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" series are not the only ones to regularly feature an all-white cast. The NBC series "Friends" often came under scrutiny for its lack of diversity; writers responded by bringing on a few characters of color, but the skepticism remained.
"The plaintiffs' goals here are laudable," Trauger continued. "They seek to support the social acceptance of interracial relationships, to eradicate outdated racial taboos, and to encourage television networks not to perpetuate outdated racial stereotypes.
"Nevertheless, the First Amendment prevents the plaintiffs from effectuating these goals by forcing the defendants to employ race-neutral criteria in their casting decisions in order to 'showcase' a more progressive message," the judge explained.
Warner Bros. is content with the decision and issued a statement saying: "We felt from the onset this case was completely without merit and we are pleased the Court has found in our favor."
