Justices Skeptical of 'Friends' Suit

From the Los Angeles Times

The California Supreme Court appeared dubious Tuesday that a former writers' assistant for the television show 'Friends' suffered sexual harassment because of raunchy, sexual comments the show's writers made while producing scripts.

During a hearing in Sacramento, two of the state high court's justices [Justice Joyce L. Kennard and Chief Justice Ronald M. George] observed that Amaani Lyle, 32, was warned before she was hired for "Friends" that she would be subjected to sexually explicit talk in the writers' room. …

Only one of the court's justices challenged that argument. Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar suggested the writers might have gone too far. …

Werdegar observed that Lyle maintained the writers' conversation often "had nothing to do at all with writing 'Friends' " and asked whether a jury would have to determine what pertained to the show and what was said and done for the writers' "personal gratification." …

The California Supreme Court took … will decide … within 90 days [whether] Lyle vs. Warner Bros.(S125171) [should be heard by a jury].