Netflix is heading to court with their former senior manager of risk management, Jessica Combs, who has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging a sexual office environment and discriminatory COVID vaccine mandates.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that while she was told that she was terminated for refusing to abide by the streamer’s COVID vaccine mandates, she argues that the real reason was that she’d made sexual harassment complaints to management.
“Combs alleges that the real reason for her termination was retaliation for her outspokenness and multiple complaints regarding the oppressive sexually driven ‘curiosity’ culture of Netflix,” the lawsuit reads. “Her willingness to speak up marked her as an employee not acting in the best interest of Netflix; an employee that was not a good team player nor a great fit.”
The suit claims Combs, who was with the streamer from 2017-2021, was subjected to a sexual office environment that included encouraging meetings to get to know colleagues with “5 minutes of actual work-related questions, while the remaining ~25 minutes were spent socializing and asking personal and sexually inappropriate questions.” She alleged that she received significantly more meeting requests from men than women and that she felt these often included flirting or were used to ask her out on a date.
She also complained of drag queens appearing in the cafeteria during Pride events.
“COMBS alleges that Netflix’ misplaced encouragement of sexuality led to an atmosphere where sex was flaunted within the workplace with ‘Pride’ events held within common areas of buildings (cafeteria, lobbies etc.),” the suit states. “COMBS has walked through places like the cafeteria during ‘Pride’ events with drag queens dancing sexually, wearing dresses and heels in the common areas- without warning. These activities were very sexual in nature and inappropriate for the workplace.”
In 2020, Combs was allowed to relocate to Tennessee while the Netflix L.A. office remained closed during the pandemic. The streamer mandated employee vaccines in 2021 and Combs was denied a religious exemption. Her request to submit negative COVID tests instead of getting the vaccine was also denied. Her position was terminated shortly after due to breaking a “reasonable employee rule.”
The filing also slammed Netflix for denying her unemployment benefits.
“Netflix denied COMBS’ application for unemployment benefits since she would not sign the severance package agreement,” the complaint said. “COMBS alleges that this act of denying her unemployment benefits further demonstrates the intentional and malicious nature of Netflix when dealing with employees who dare to challenge the sacred, albeit inappropriate, core values of Netflix, notwithstanding her loyal, devoted, and exemplary years of service as indicated by the repeated praise in her annual reviews, her promotions, and pay increases. COMBS performed her duties competently and met or exceeded Netflix’ legitimate expectations throughout her tenure at Netflix.”
