Sony employee alleges rampant workplace racism in leaked email days after studio head Amy Pascal's racist email exchange about President Obama went public

  • An email written by a Sony employee to the company's head lawyer alleges a workplace of harassment and abuse
  • The employee, an African-American woman, worked for Keith Le Goy, President of International Distribution at Sony Pictures Television
  • She claims Le Goy sexually harassed, was verbally abusive, and says she and other African-Americans were passed over for jobs
  • Le Goy denied most of the woman's claims, and she had been fired from the company prior to writing the email
  • This comes just days after a racist email exchange between Sony Chair Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin was released 

In an email sent to Sony's top lawyer and other high ranking executives at the company, one former employee alleges a workplace of horrors, filled with sexual harassment, racism, verbal abuse and gender bias. 

An unnamed African-American woman who worked for Keith Le Goy, President of International Distribution at Sony Pictures Television, claims she and other African-American coworkers were passed over for promotions in favor of less experienced Caucasian employees, that she was the victim of frequent expletive-laden verbal attacks and she alleges that Le Goy sexually harassed her on multiple occasions

The email was sent to Sony Pictures chief counsel Leah Weil, Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton, and Sony Pictures Television President Steve Mosko.

Scroll down for video 

Leaked: A new email sent to head Sony lawyer Leah Weil (right, with Amy Pascal) alleges a workplace of racism, abuse and harassment at Sony

Leaked: A new email sent to head Sony lawyer Leah Weil (right, with Amy Pascal) alleges a workplace of racism, abuse and harassment at Sony

Head honcho: An African-American woman who worked for Keith Le Goy, President of International Distribution at Sony Pictures Television, claims she was frequently mistreated

Head honcho: An African-American woman who worked for Keith Le Goy, President of International Distribution at Sony Pictures Television, claims she was frequently mistreated

In the loop: The email was also sent to Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton, and Sony Pictures Television President Steve Mosko

In the loop: The email was also sent to Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton, and Sony Pictures Television President Steve Mosko

Le Goy, who is said to have denied most of the allegations, is also on the email, and is told by lawyers for the company not to 'respond to the email or otherwise engage with her.'

The email was obtained by Gawker, and written by the former employee just one day after she was terminated from the company.

'I have worked for executives at Sony for approximately 7 years, the last 5+ of which have been in International Distribution assisting Keith Le Goy,' the email begins. 

'My experience in the International Distribution department has been marred by disparate and unfair treatment in promotion and hiring practices, harassment, retaliation, bullying women, name-calling, offensive language, threats, blocking my advancement and transfers, withholding information to paint a negative opinion, maligning, unsolicited hugs and invitations, resulting in sexual harassment and drinking during work hours in the office.'

From there, the writer lists some specific incidents of harassment and abuse, as well as what she deems to be racist practices.

'So the situation is a Caucasian person promoted twice above the more experienced, more senior African-American person and the African-American has yet to get the title for the job that she actually does,' writes the former employee. 

'My case isn't isolated, my African-American tub mate, works for the same SVP, now EVP, who promoted Monica in 18 months, has not given her, the African-American assistant the classification for the job she is doing—Admin III. The only other African-American in our department in the last 10 years, was Paul Bledsoe, who was laid-off in 2009, after 10 years as a Manager. I asked to take over some of his duties and learn more and was rebuffed; another Caucasian was hired 5 months later.'

As for Le Goy's behavior, she writes; 'In January 2009, Keith harassed me by yelling at me, charging at my desk for dial-in instructions, after providing them, I hastened out and he chased, blocked my exit and threatened me not to take overtime, in front of several witnesses. 

'I was terrified. This anger was in retaliation for my having reported him to the Ethics Hotline 3 weeks earlier, when he called me "[Expletive] useless," and slammed his computer down for emphasis in front of a female VP.'

Buds: Le Goy (right, with Mosko and actor Oliver Platt) denied most of the woman's allegations

Buds: Le Goy (right, with Mosko and actor Oliver Platt) denied most of the woman's allegations

Bad timing: This comes just days after a racist email exchange between Pascal and producer Scott Rudin about President Obama was leaked

Bad timing: This comes just days after a racist email exchange between Pascal and producer Scott Rudin about President Obama was leaked

The writer shares a few more incidents similar in nature, with profane rants and the slamming of things.

As for the sexual harassment, she says Le Goy invited her to spend time alone in his office on multiple occasions

'The beginnings of the sexual abuse occurred in 2007 when he asked me to join him while he serenaded HR and Operations managers in his dimmed office' she says. 

'I refused him twice saying that I had an abundance of work to complete. The final time that he asked, he offered me, "Veuve Cliquot with HR, I told him in no uncertain terms, "I don't drink." He yelled slapping at me, "Then, you're not on my team!" 

'Initially, it seemed like a joke, later it became apparent with the comments, like I'm imperious and then he began calling me a "Bitch" in many incarnations and that became de rigueur in the office.' 

The email closes by saying, 'I need someone to protect me from Keith.'

This leaked email comes just days after one in which Sony Chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin made racist remarks about President Barack Obama.

On the eve of a fundraising breakfast in November 2013 being attended by the President at the home of DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Pascal and Rudin went over things she could discuss with Obama while at the event.

'Should I ask him if he liked DJANGO?' Pascal asks Rudin, a reference to the 2012 Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained that dealt with the subject of slavery in the antebellum South.

'12 years,' responds Rudin, referencing another slavery film, this time Steve McQueen's 2013 Academy Award-winning work 12 Years a Slave, a very violent and brutal look at the injustice and abuse endured by the millions forced into slavery in America.

The pair then keep going, listing as many current films starring black actors as they can name, including Lee Daniels' The Butler and two Kevin Hart movies, Think Like a Man and Ride Along.

'I bet he likes Kevin Hart,' says Rudin at one point.

Not having it: Shonda Rhimes called out Pascal and Rudin on Twitter

Not having it: Shonda Rhimes called out Pascal and Rudin on Twitter

African-American television giant Shonda Rhimes said of the emails on Twitter, 'Calling Sony comments "racially insensitive remarks" instead of 'racist'?' she tweeted. 'U can put a cherry on a pile of s*** but it don't make it a sundae.'

Pascal, who says she is not racist, issued an apology on Thursday, saying; 'The content of my emails were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am.'

She then added, 'although this was a private communication that was stolen, I accept full responsibility for what I wrote and apologize to everyone who was offended.'  

Sony employee alleges rampant workplace racism in leaked email

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.