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A recently amended discrimination, harassment and retaliation lawsuit from Netflixs former director of Kids & Family Acquisitions and Co-Commissions against the streamer has put the companys hardcore adapt or perish culture unflatteringly in the spotlight yet again.
On the heels of Netflixs ex-labor relations executive Nhu-Y-Phans legal action over allegedly being kicked to the curb for reporting on misconduct by higher-ups, Amy Takahara today refiled her own action against streamer and Edward Horasz, the current Director, Kids & Tween Live Action and Content Licensing. Naming names, both suits reveal the not-so-secret inner workings of Netflix as a sharp elbowed and credit-jockeying workplace, where only the strong survive by any means necessary.
In this amended complaint and the original filing of May 5, Takahara insists she was fired on January 13, after seven years at company run by Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters for confronting Horasz directly over his behavior. In sum, Ms. Takaharas repeated complaints unfortunately fell on deaf ears, her 33-page filing in Los Angeles Superior Court states.
Also battling Phans discrimination and sexual harassment suit in LASC, Netflixs reps werent warm and fuzzy Thursday when contact by Deadline over Takaharas amended complaint. Ms. Takaharas position was eliminated after the team was downsized, a spokesperson for the streamer said. Her claims lack merit, and we believe the proceedings will prove it.
Perhaps, but the new filing includes more details of Horasz claiming credit for Geek Girl advocate Takaharas ideas, work and pitches; attacking her mental health; and telling her she couldnt handle the male-based shows and should stick to female-based relationship shows. The industry vets depiction of a oppressive, hostile, and misogynistic environment offers a litany of examples that Netflix is going to have counter and a paper trail too. With more supposed quotes from Horasz of a lesbian agenda at work, witches with titties, mocking of pregnant staffers and complaining that he needed to hire other men to uplevel his team, ex-Nickelodeon Director of Acquisitions Takahara calls out the joint as having a toxic, workplace culture.
A workplace culture that Takahara, as others have before, says offered little recourse to those who raised their voices.
Beginning with a meeting with Patti Medina, a Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Netflix in early December 2024 after another alleged run-in with Horasz, Takahara says nothing was significantly done to address her concerns or her supervisors behavior. After Ms. Takaharas complaint during this January 7, 2025 meeting, Netflix and its HR department did not rectify the situation. Ms. Takaharas complaints should have alerted Netflix to respond and intervene, much less conduct an investigation, to protect her. Netflixs subsequent protection of Mr. Horasz, however and the HR employees reference to severance for Ms. Takahara(without finding her another job within Netflix) reinforced the illegal message that Netflix would tolerate bias and harassment in the workplace. Indeed, Defendants failure to remedy his harassment sent a message that womens complaints were unimportant further creating a hostile environment.
According to the complaint, which demands a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages: Defendants recklessly, maliciously, and oppressively violated Ms. Takaharas constitutional, statutory, and common law rights under California law, and Netflixs institutional failure to take any corrective measures (after her multiple complaints) demonstrates its conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others, warranting both significant compensatory and punitive damages.
BTW: When asked about Phans lawsuit back on July 21, Netflixs reaction was a staid these claims lack merit, and we intend to defend this matter vigorously. Sound familiar?
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