Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune just got hit with a big discrimination lawsuit (but it seems like it was before Ryan Seacrest’s time)

Despite the fact that there are two of the best game shows of all time, danger! and Wheel of Fortune are not without controversy. Just a few years ago Mike Richards was fired as executive producer of the series after past problematic behavior resurfaced when the new one was called danger! next host The death of Alex Trebek. Now Sony Productions game shows are facing major complaints from two former employees who say they experienced discriminatory behavior and were fired for reporting it.

Shelley Ballance Ellis and Monique Diaz were fired from Sony Pictures Entertainment in April after working Wheel of Fortune and Danger! for 26 and 23 years respectively, USA TODAY reports. While the issues reported to the California Department of Civil Rights occurred before Ryan Seacrest did his Wheel of Fortune debuthe had begun promotional footage with Vanna White at least until February of this year, so the new host may have actually crossed paths with Ballance Ellis and Diaz.

As the show’s head of licensing and licensing — and reportedly the highest-ranking black production executive on staff — Shelley Balance Ellis said in court documents:

The truth is that I and others were targeted by Sony for speaking out against discrimination.

The former employee detailed a 2020 Wheel of Fortune production meeting as an example, where colleagues allegedly joked that a black woman’s hairstyle reminded them of the film The elephant manto which Shelley Ballance Ellis asked them which part of the “joke” was funny.

She also reported raising concerns about bias Danger! clues and called for “more inclusive and nuanced clues about people from diverse backgrounds”. The former executive said she was not considered for promotions despite taking on additional work after three other producers left. She raised her concerns in 2023, according to the complaint, which said:

I explained to them that I believe I faced a glass ceiling at Sony as a woman of color, rebutting my colleagues’ claim that having white women in leadership meant there was no glass ceiling for black people or women of color as me.

Shelley Ballance Ellis reported other actions she experienced that affected her and other employees, including Wheel of Fortune“Southern Charm Week” in 2017, in which Pat Sajak and Vanna White were shown in front of a plantation and two slave actors in antebellum dress. The show reportedly issued an apology at the time.

Meanwhile, Monique Diaz detailed other behaviors she allegedly witnessed, including how black contestants were treated compared to their white counterparts. Comedian Leslie Jones, for example, was mocked by a production supervisor for asking to bring her own hairstylist for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

Employee concerns about racial bias were ignored, such as when Diaz, who is Latina, learned she was making about $50,000 less a year than a new hire who was white doing the same job. No action was taken after she filed a complaint with human resources, so Shelley Ballance Ellis — who was Diaz’s supervisor — contacted Sony’s chief diversity officer. Diaz’s salary was adjusted, but she still earned $15,000 less than her new co-star.

Sony responded to the complaints, telling USA TODAY that the management team at Wheel of Fortune and Danger! are “dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion and respect.” The statement continued:

Sony Pictures Entertainment takes all allegations of discrimination very seriously. Earlier this year, there was a major reorganization of our game show group, which resulted in the elimination of several roles to address redundancies and the evolving business needs of a 40+ year-old operation. These removals were business efficiency decisions and not retaliation.

We’ll have to wait and see if anything comes of these discrimination complaints, including if and how the relatively new hosts play – Ken Jennings and Ryan Seacrest — will be affected. In the meantime, check your local listings to see when games are airing in syndication in your area.