Trey Sherman, a former associate producer at CBS News, has alleged that recent layoffs at the network’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, were racially motivated. Following his dismissal in the latest round of job cuts, Sherman claimed that all of the producers from his team who lost their jobs were people of color, while their white colleagues were retained and reassigned within the company.
Sherman’s allegations surfaced in a TikTok post where he expressed his distress over the layoffs. He stated, “I just got laid off from my job at CBS, and every producer on my team who got laid off is a person of color. Every person who gets to stay and will be relocated within the company is a White person.”
Details of the Layoff Claims
The former producer’s suspicions of discrimination arose after he individually reached out to his teammates to inquire about their employment status. He discovered that his white colleagues had retained their positions while all employees of color on his team had been let go. Sherman confronted his supervisor seeking clarification on the reasons behind the layoffs. The executive claimed to have attempted to place Sherman in another position, a statement Sherman challenged, asserting that the supervisor had “lied to his face.”
In his TikTok video, Sherman recounted his experience: “And I come to find out it was not his decision to eliminate the show that I worked for, but he did get to decide who got to stay.” He confronted the executive again, pointing out the discrepancy in the layoffs, saying, “You said that you couldn’t get us relocated, only to find out that you were able to get some people relocated, and they all happen to be White. Am I supposed to believe that that’s a coincidence?”
Impact of the Layoffs on CBS News
Sherman’s claims come amid significant staffing reductions at CBS News, where approximately 100 employees in the news division were laid off in this latest round of cuts. Additionally, two streaming programs—CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings—were canceled, and the network’s Race and Culture Unit, established in July 2020, was disbanded.
While these allegations have sparked discussion regarding workplace diversity and equity, CBS News and Paramount Skydance have not publicly addressed Sherman’s claims. Attempts by various media outlets, including the New York Post, to obtain comments from the companies have gone unanswered.
As the situation unfolds, the implications of Sherman’s allegations raise questions about the hiring and layoff practices within major media organizations and their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
