A former Paramount Pictures Corp. employee has dropped his lawsuit in which he alleged he was forced to resign from his job as a billing analyst because of retaliation he suffered after taking family leave to care for his cancer-stricken mother.
Kenny Jerome Murphy also contended in his Los Angeles Superior Court complaint that there was increased scrutiny of his work and that he was given unfounded negative written evaluations.
On July 3, Murphy’s attorneys filed court papers with Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis stating that a settlement “in principle” was reached and that work was proceeding to finalize the accord. No terms were divulged.
On Tuesday, Murphy’s attorneys filed court papers with Duffy-Lewis asking that Murphy’s suit be dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled.
In the suit filed March 5, Murphy alleged discrimination, retaliation, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and interference in violation of the California Family Rights Act. He said he was hired as a billing analyst in June 2016 and that matters turned for the worse when he decided to not get the coronavirus vaccine during the pandemic for religious reasons and began working remotely.
“Plaintiff’s decision created an undercurrent of discomfort among colleagues and superiors, especially as the company made it clear that non-vaccinated employees would not be allowed to return to the office,” the suit stated.
Murphy said he applied for family leave in December 2021 to care for his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer and that he suffered retaliation.
“Plaintiff was often unfavorably compared to co-workers and faced heightened scrutiny with respect to his completion of everyday tasks,” the suit stated.
Although Murphy’s work during this time continued to be “exemplary,” one of his managers began holding weekly meetings with him that focused on critiquing his performance, according to the suit.
Feeling “incessantly scrutinized and demoralized,” Murphy resigned by email in March 2023 “after enduring an ever-increasingly hostile work environment,” the suit stated.