Harvey Weinstein Challenges His Firing in Arbitration
Harvey Weinstein has filed a claim in private arbitration alleging that he was wrongfully terminated from the Weinstein Company, according to a court filing.
The Weinstein Co. filed papers in Delaware Chancery Court on Wednesday, opposing Weinstein’s motion to expedite his suit in that court. Weinstein has sued his former company, seeking access to his personnel file and company email account.
In its opposition, the Weinstein Co. lawyers argue that he is improperly seeking to run around the discovery process in the arbitration case. Weinstein filed the suit in Delaware on Oct. 26. The court filings say that he initiated the arbitration case on the same day.
Weinstein was fired last month after the New York Times reported that he had settled numerous sexual harassment claims over three decades. Scores of women have since come forward to allege that they were harassed, groped, or raped by Weinstein. Weinstein has repeatedly denied all accusations of non-consensual sex.
Weinstein has said he needs access to his emails and personnel file in order to defend himself and the company — of which he still owns 23% — against civil and criminal investigations. The company countered that “no one has sought his ‘assistance.'” In his suit, Weinstein noted that his brother, Bob Weinstein, had recently been accused of “similar improper conduct” by Amanda Segel, the showrunner of “The Mist,” and that he had used emails to defend himself.
The Weinstein Co. seems to have interpreted that as a gratuitous personal swipe. In a footnote, the company said the two brothers’ conduct bears no resemblance.
“To be clear, not a single woman has accused Robert Weinstein of sexual assault or rape — let alone of decades of predatory sexual behavior,” the company’s attorney wrote. “Weinstein’s suggestion that ‘similar’ allegations have been levied against both men is simply false and reveals the true, personal motivation behind the Demand.”
The filing was first reported by the Associated Press.
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