Former Tour Director Sues Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. for Race and Gender Discrimination

Candace Newman v. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

Case #: 20STCV25585

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 20, 2020 / Toni Jaramilla, A Professional Law Corporation has filed a race and gender discrimination lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court (Case No. 20STCV25585) on behalf of Candace Newman against her former employer, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (“Live Nation”).

Candace Newman was the only African American executive in the Touring Division at Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. until recently when she was terminated under the guise of a furlough. She was hired as an Executive Assistant and after a decade of employment, hard work, and fighting for opportunities at Live Nation, she was elevated to the long overdue title of Director, US Concerts & Touring (“Tour Director”). Ms. Newman witnessed the lack of diversity in Live Nation’s workforce, despite the fact that Live Nation represents over 2,000 artists globally in which over half of its artists are Black. She therefore took the initiative to establish and lead Live Nation’s very first women’s diversity group in 2015, called the Empower Network, only to have it dismantled by the Senior VP of Administration, Linda Gross. In addition, Ms. Newman allegedly discovered a document that revealed salary breakdowns showing that she was making up to 40% less than even entry level White males. She complained to CEO, Michael Rapino regarding Equal Pay violations. While her payment was adjusted, she was not retroactively compensated.

Ms. Newman was then subjected to retaliatory acts including allegedly being written up unfairly and having an HR investigation being turned against her, as well as being told she was furloughed due to COVID-19. She was not originally part of the group of employees who were part of the furlough list and her position was not a logical choice to be furloughed.

In the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, Live Nation made a public statement of solidarity with the Black community and committing to do its part to fight racism. Attorney Toni Jaramilla states, “Contrary to Live Nation’s public statements, to this day, and for at least the many years that Ms. Newman dedicated her career to this company, Live Nation continues to perpetuate race and gender inequalities in hiring, pay and promotion. It fosters a toxic work environment of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation against employees, like Ms. Newman, who complain about a lack of diversity and race and gender discrimination in the workplace.” May Mallari, Partner at Toni Jaramilla, APLC states, “We look forward to demanding equality in the workplace and seeking justice on Ms. Newman’s behalf.”

Press Contact:

Toni Jaramilla, Esq.
(310) 386-4777 (mobile); (310) 551-3020 (office)

About Toni Jaramilla, A Professional Law Corporation

Toni Jaramilla is committed to achieving the best possible results for employees who have experienced problems in the workplace. Serving clients throughout Los Angeles, her focus is on achieving positive social change for workers. Through zealous and ethical advocacy, lawyers at the firm have built a reputation for excellence in the practice of employment and labor law. For more information, please call (310) 551-3020, or visit www.jaramilla.com. The office is located at 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

SOURCE: Toni Jaramilla, A Professional Law Corporation

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