Former “Matlock” screenwriter John Lowe filed a lawsuit Wednesday against CBS Television Studios, showrunner Jenny Snyder Urman, and executive producers Nikki Lena and Jeffrey Lieber. He claimed that “racially stereotypical comments about his body and genitals” were made to him and other black cast and crew members, creating a “hostile work environment.”
Lowe, who worked on Matlock from October 2023 to July 2025, claims he was forced out of his job in retaliation two weeks after Ehrman reported on an alleged incident in which he referred to Juneteenth as “Coonteenth.”
Rowe lists multiple sexual and racist comments in his lawsuit. He also detailed an incident that allegedly occurred when Ms. Ullman brought her dog into the writer’s room, and “her children mentioned the dog’s dark color and said they ‘didn’t like how it looked.'” Lowe claims he was forced to take his dog with him for nearly a year in the presence of other staff members, which he feels was “racially motivated and designed to single him out for racially-based humiliation, not for creative or production reasons.”
CBS Studios said in a statement that after investigating the allegations, they were found to be unsubstantiated.
A company spokesperson said: “We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone and take all workplace complaints seriously.” “In this case, we completed a thorough investigation and found no support for his claims. We look forward to vigorously defending this case.”
John H. Lowe III
The complaint also includes allegations against executive producer Lena. Lowe claims that Lena told Eme Ikwako, a black cast member, that she “can barely read.” In another instance, Lena called Rowe late at night and told him she was in bed wearing only her underwear.
“There is no excuse for this blatant racism and harassment. CBS should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen, and the showrunners and producers of ‘Matlock’ should be held accountable,” Lowe’s attorney Ron Zambrano said in a statement. “Mr. Lowe was subjected to degrading and unlawful conduct. He deserves to be treated with the dignity and respect that everyone expects in the workplace, and he should not have been subjected to such outrageous and illegal racial slurs and sexual harassment that had nothing to do with his work on the show.”
The lawsuit comes three months after actor David Del Rio filed an arbitration claim against CBS Studios over his firing last fall. Del Rio, who was a series regular, was removed from the show following sexual assault allegations.
