Sony wins legal battle with executive who says she was fired after turning 60
Sony Pictures Television Inc. has secured a legal victory after a judge directed an age discrimination lawsuit brought by a former executive to private arbitration.
Plaintiff Wendy Baxter, who previously served as senior vice president of current programming, alleges she was unlawfully dismissed in 2025 because of her age, as she was 60 at the time of her firing.
In her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, Baxter also contended that her termination was part of retaliatory action by the company following her repeated complaints regarding alleged discrimination against older female employees.
During her tenure, Baxter supervised the adaptation and production of major hit television shows across global markets.
On Thursday, Sony attorneys filed a notice confirming that Judge Steven A. Ellis granted their motion to compel arbitration on all of Baxterβs causes of action, putting the civil lawsuit on hold. Court documents indicate a status conference is scheduled for July 14, 2027.
In his ruling, the judge noted that Sony supported its motion with a formal declaration from Jacqui Ngo, director, Operations in People & Organization, for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. Ngo stated she sent an employment agreement containing an arbitration clause to Baxter in April 2022, which the plaintiff signed on the very same day.
The judge stated that while the record displayed "some degree of procedural unconscionability", the overall employment agreement was not unfairly weighted in favor of Sony.
Baxter worked for Sony on an off-and-on basis from 1995 until February 2025, starting with an initial tenure from 1995 to 2003. After stints at Disney and the WB Network, along with an eight-year freelance engagement with Sony, she returned to full-time employment with the studio in 2012.
In her role as senior vice president of current programming, Baxter managed the development and production of television programming that generated hundreds of millions of dollars in annual profits for Sony, according to the legal filing.
Baxter oversaw local adaptations and production of hit television series including "The Nanny," "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Married... with Children" for international markets in China, Korea, and the Russian-speaking world, while also developing local programming for those regions, the suit stated.
In 2023, Baxter determined that despite her profitable track record, she was allegedly paid significantly less than male colleagues performing substantially similar work. When she reported the earnings discrepancy to her superiors, the lawsuit states she received an annual raise of $50,000.
However, Baxter remained paid significantly less than her male colleagues in similar roles. After voicing her concerns and receiving the $50,000 increase, she says she found she had a target on her back and never received another meaningful raise.
As Baxter neared her 60th birthday, she observed that Sony had few women over 60 in leadership positions, while women over 65 in executive roles were "virtually non-existent," the suit states. She was fired in February 2025, three months after turning 60.
Two other women in their 60s were terminated on the exact same day, including one employee who had been with Sony for 30 years, the lawsuit further states.
